Savory Cornbread with Cheddar & Thyme
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This Northern-style cornbread is cakier than its Southern cousin. It’s the perfect side to any Southwestern or BBQ dish.
When it comes to cornbread, there are two devout camps: the Southerners and the Northerners, and both are passionate about their cornbread. I’ve lived most of my life in the DC area – right smack in the middle – so I could really go either way. There’s nothing quite like a crispy, thin wedge of authentic Southern cornbread from a cast iron skillet, but this Northern-style cornbread is just as special. It has a high flour-to-cornmeal ratio, which makes it cakier than its Southern cousin, and it’s made in a cake pan as opposed to a skillet. It’s moist, not too crumbly, and has wonderful – albeit subtle – flavor from the addition of corn, Cheddar cheese, and fresh thyme. I think you’ll enjoy it, no matter which camp you’re in.
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Savory Cornbread with Cheddar & Thyme
This Northern-style cornbread is cakier than its Southern cousin. It’s the perfect side to any Southwestern or BBQ dish.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1¼ teaspoons salt
- 2½ tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
- ¾ cup frozen corn kernels (no need to thaw; just be sure they are not stuck together)
- 1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
- 1¼ cups milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a 9-inch square glass or metal baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, sugar and thyme until well combined. Stir in the corn and cheese.
- In a small bowl, break up the eggs with a wire whisk, then add the milk and whisk to combine. Add the wet mixture and melted butter to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until just combined. Do not overmix. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon or spatula. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until puffed and lightly golden. Cool slightly in the pan on a wire rack, then cut into pieces and serve warm. Cornbread tastes best when served right out of the oven but leftovers can be wrapped in foil and reheated in a 350-degree oven for 10-15 minutes.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cornbread can be frozen in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag for up to 3 months. To reheat, just wrap in foil and warm it in a 350°F oven until hot.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (16 servings)
- Calories: 199
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Sodium: 167 mg
- Cholesterol: 49 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I loved this cornbread last night with soup I made. I didn’t have fresh thyme, so I used dried and it was delicious. No doubt the cheese is what makes this recipe a winner–my husband loved the corn kernels.
Is the corn an essential ingredient? Thanks!
No, Sarah, it’s fine to omit it. 🙂
Hi Jenn,
Love your recipes! Asking for your cookbook for Christmas! I have a question about oven temps. I would love to make this cornbread and your easy slow-baked BBQ short ribs at the same time, so they both come out warm. The ribs are set at 300, the cornbread is 400. How do you adjust for both, or can you? This type of thing has always confused me! Thanks so much for any advice!
Hi Karen, Glad you like the recipes! There’s enough of a temperature discrepancy between the cornbread and the ribs, that I wouldn’t recommend baking them together – I’m sorry! But you can make the cornbread in advance and reheat it a bit right before serving the ribs. Hope that helps!
Could this recipe be put into muffin tins instead? Thank you! 🙂
Sure!
I made this recipe last night to go with a pot of Chicken & Chorizo Chili (credit, the Kitchn). Was having guests over and needed something a little more special than a box of Jiffy :-). Anyway, it turned out great. Super texture and I loved the addition of thyme! Although it’s an 8×8 recipe, you get 16 pretty hefty slices from a batch. Also, I live at about 6,000 ft. I made no adjustments for altitude and it still turned out perfectly.
Hi! Can i use this recipe into baking corn muffin? If yes, how long should be the baking time and what temp?
thank you
Sure, Rhea – same temp but check them around 18 to 20 min.
Thanks for your recipe. I made this into muffin and it taste soo good! I used a whole grain medium grind cornmeal to make it a little healthier for me. Even with the whole grains, this recipe is still soo moist and tasty. Next time, I’ll try to use whole wheat pastry flour.
Has anyone substituted dry thyme for fresh? I realize for a substitution I should use half, but I’m wondering if this would still turn out great, as so many reviews have indicated. Thanks!
HI Laura, I love the fresh thyme here but think you could get away with dried. I’ll let other readers weigh in too if they have experience using dried thyme.
Hi! I don’t have a 9” square pan but I do have a metal 8×12 and a glass 9×13 or a 10” and 8” cast iron! Which should I use and how does that alter the baking time?
Hi Ellen, I’d recommend the 8 x 12 and I think the baking time should be about the same; just keep an eye on it. Hope you enjoy!
This is the best cornbread recipe I have ever tried! Moist and flavorful! The sharp cheese was a little too strong for us, so I substituted a Mexican blend shredded cheese and omitted the thyme. We enjoyed it very much!
Would canned corn work in this recipe or would it be better to use frozen? I can easily pick up a bag of frozen but have plenty of canned corn on hand. What do you recommend? Thank you!
Either is fine, Jeanette. Enjoy!