Moist cheesy cornbread, an easy quick bread recipe without yeast or sugar. Add corn, roasted red onions, bell peppers and herbs for the best flavours and textures.
This is one of the best and handy recipes to have up your woolly sleeve when you're snowed in, or just for a nourishing, homemade snack or supper at little notice.
If you know me by now (I am Scottish), I love good fluffy cheese scones. Especially in winter. This cheesy cornbread is another of our winter treats served with any of our warming soup recipes.
Moist Cheesy Cornbread Recipe
I love that this cornbread is moist with the extra topped roasted vegetables. What's more, it's extra cheesy. You will have seen that in France we love our cheeses - particularly bubbly and crusty in the likes of a butternut and walnut gratin and with potatoes in the classic French Gratin Dauphinois or Gratin Savoyard (without the cream).
For the cheese, you could use a good, mature cheddar or French Comté or Emmental - but here I grated in matured Mimoulette cheese, which has much less fat and just as sharp on the taste.
Best Healthy Cornbread - No Added Sugar
After trying a delicious Cheesy Jalapeno Soda Bread from Camilla (at FabFood4All I love how she uses beer instead of buttermilk), I was inspired to make a savoury and healthy cornbread recipe.
For traditional American cornbread lovers, please don't be offended that I have omitted any sugar or honey from the recipe. I believe that cornbread is healthier and best without any added sugar or honey (unless making for a dessert).
Cornbread is sweet enough naturally with the added corn and onions. After experimenting and playing around with various versions, the girls have given the thumbs up to this final savoury version.
This cheesy cornbread is quick, it's easy, it's healthy, delicious - and colourful too. Moreover, as I don't have a traditional skillet to cook it in, I just used a non-stick cake pan and it slipped out so easily.
What Can I Add to My Cornbread?
I love adding some vegetables on top of my cornbread. So it's not just cheese; add corn, onions and red peppers halfway during cooking. The result is the vegetables roast beautifully in the oven and make the cornbread extra moist, trapping in their wonderful flavours.
The additions of fleur de sel salt (Maldon and Celtic sea salt are also good substitutes) and fresh rosemary or thyme add that extra delicious touch - especially in winter.
If you love things a little spicy, then sprinkle on some extra smoked paprika to the vegetables before baking.
What's more, this moist cornbread is a welcome, festive side to a Thanksgiving dinner, too.
What to Serve with it
This cheesy cornbread is good with any of the following recipes:
- broccoli hummus
- creamy corn soup with red peppers;
- leek and potato soup (potage Bonne-Femme);
- pure vegetable soup
- crème Dubarry (cream of Cauliflower)
- Corsican veal stew with bell peppers;
- Blanquette de veau
Cheesy Cornbread
Equipment
- 24cm / 9 inch cake tin
Ingredients
- 150 g (5.5oz / ¾ cup) cornmeal
- 100 g (3.5oz / ¾ cup) plain flour all-purpose
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1 teaspoon salt fleur de sel
- 1 tablespoon rosemary or thyme finely chopped
- 100 g (3.5oz/ 1¼ cups) comté, mimoulette or cheddar cheese grated
- 1 egg organic
- 340 ml (12oz/ 1.4 cups) buttermilk* (or milk with 2 tablespoon lemon juice) SEE NOTES
Topping
- 1 red onion finely sliced
- 1 red pepper roughly chopped
- 1 cob fresh corn kernels (or small tin sweetcorn)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika optional
- 1 teaspoon salt (fleur de sel) for sprinkling before serving
- few turns of the peppermill to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the topping: fry the red onion and pepper in one tablespoon of the olive oil for about 10 minutes over a medium heat until translucent (not browned). Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas 6.
- Prepare the batter: in a large mixing bowl sift in the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, grated cheese and rosemary. Using a large spoon, mix in the egg and buttermilk until smooth.
- Oil a 24cm cake tin with the other tablespoon of olive oil and pour in the batter. Bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Remove from the oven, top with the onion and pepper mix, sweetcorn and (if using) the smoked paprika and return to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes.
- Leave to cool slightly in the tin then remove and enjoy while still warm.
Camilla Hawkins
Your cornbread looks so pretty and I bet it tastes amazing. Always good to use up ingredients before they pass their best! Thanks for the shout out for my soda bread!
Jill Colonna
Great pleasure, Camilla. Getting rather hooked on these quick breads!
Liz
Your cheesy cornbread would hit the spot today! It's COLD and snowy, and this beauty is pure comfort food!
Jill Colonna
My goodness, Liz. Snow again? Let's hope that Spring is on its way soon for you. Enjoy the recipe.
Thomasina
It's amazing what we have in our cupboards when we are snowed in. What super ideas you have Jill so thank you for sharing. I love cheese scones so this will be on my list to try out.
Jill Colonna
Thanks, Thomasina - hope you try this and the scones. So much better when it's homemade - and you know what's in it!
Cheryl Turner
Sounds so yummy. I can't wait to try. I think my family will really enjoy this. Thank you
Jill Colonna
It's a real pleasure, Cheryl. Enjoy the recipe!
Tracy
Having lived in the USA for the past 11 years I just can't wrap my head around corn bread. With it being so sweet my husband and I both agree that it should be called corn cake. It's a rather odd one !
Now your savoury recipe looks like a delicious option. I might even venture into the realm of cornbread with this one.
Thank you !!!
Jill Colonna
I'm exactly the same but I haven't lived in the USA. Thankfully we think alike and agree - it should be corn cake! Hope you try this recipe, Tracy. I was a bit hesitant to post this, thinking people would go crazy without the sweetness.
Christina | Christina's Cucina
This looks fabulous, Jill, and so much better than going out on the slippery pavements and risking a fall! Sometimes it's nice being "stuck inside" as it gives you the excuse to not go out for anything! 🙂 I still haven't tried your cheese scones and have a gruyere cheddar mix that I spied at TJs and I LOVE it! Might be a good one to use for any of your cheesy bakes! Thanks for another great recipe!
Jill Colonna
Thanks so much, Christina. Well I hope you make them - a gruyere and cheddar mix? Now that sounds interesting. Sounds like a real French-British concoction that's perfectly suited here!
Betty
Jill, This looks just great and will try it soon! Even though a lot of recipes (including my very favorite) for cornbread here in the U.S. includes sugar, I agree with you completely about omitting it when adding savory ingredients. My husband likes the addition of cheese and jalapenos (the spicier, the better, for him!) and so I make the savory version then! I still love my sweeter version when plain!
Jill Colonna
Well I'm so glad I haven't offended leaving out the sugar when adding the vegetables, Betty. Reassuring, thanks. And yes, I imagine as plain the sugar will be just perfect. Hope you try this!
Linda
Looks scrummy BUT can I swap cornmeal for ordinary flour? I love everything of plant origin except cornmeal, so no Doritos for me. But I do want to make this!!
Jill Colonna
Of course you can swap it for normal flour. But then I'd call it Cheesy Red Onion Pepper Quick Bread! 🙂
Linda
Do you think spelt flour might be a more interesting replacement?
Jill Colonna
I certainly sounds an interesting replacement (épautre in French), as it will give it a nutty taste, something completely different. If it's just the taste of corn you don't like then just regular flour - or why not chestnut flour (but I'd swap the quantities so that normal flour outweighs the regular flour, since it's rather overpowering). I don't know really, as it's cornbread with a sweetish angle since it's ground dried corn. What about polenta?