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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Can I omit the thyme? I want to serve these with my tortilla soup and I dont think thyme will really pair well with my soup.
Sure!
I wanted a great cornbread to go with my bean soup, and once again, Jenn, you have the best recipe on the planet. I live in Norway and cornmeal is not easy to find, particularly the course cornmeal cornbread calls for. So I improvised and crushed 4 corn-rice cakes and puréed the can of sweet corn, added the cheese and fresh thyme and it was a wonderfully moist cornbread with all the cornmeal flavor I was hungry for. I will never make cornbread the old traditional, dry kind again! You are amazing and I thank you. Tusen takk! #@onceuponachef
You’re so welcome! 🙂
Jenn, I made the cornbread, as muffins. Muffins were done in 22 minutes. Delicious! The only change I made was to add a quarter teaspoon of ground pepper, just cos we like things a little spicy. This is definitely going to be a go to recipe. Thank you! Chira
Wonderful cornbread! Moist, great texture. Nice balance of flavours. First savoury recipe I have made. I will make it again. I think you could change up the herb depending on what you have, for example chives.
Do you have any dessert recipe/preferably a simple chocolate cake etc that is eggless?
Hi Nidhi, I don’t think I have any cake recipes that don’t require eggs, but a number of readers that avoid eggs have mentioned that they use flax eggs when baking. I would assume many baking recipes would also work with some kind of egg substitute. Hope that helps!
Hi Jenn, I’m trying to avoid going to the store these days… if I made it without cheddar, would it still be ok? I know cheddar is in the name… or maybe I could put in a bit of feta? Thank you!
Hi Olga, you could get away with omitting it, but I’d add a little more salt to the batter. Please LMK how it turns out!
Good recipe but not feeling the corn kernels in the bite …. not really tasting the cheddar and too much thyme for me…
Could you sub buttermilk for the milk? I have some to use up. Thanks!
I wouldn’t recommend it, Adina — sorry!
Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to 1 cup of milk. Let sit for 1/2 a minute, stir then use. It is a great substitute for buttermilk! I use this method any time I do not have buttermilk on hand and it works every time!
how long should it bake in mini muffin pans?
They’ll take anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes, so to be safe, I’d start checking them at 10. Hope you enjoy!
Can I line the pan with parchment paper so it’s easier to lift it out?
Hi Beth, I haven’t used parchment for this, but I think it should work. Hope you enjoy!
Wanted to like this but it just didn’t hit the mark for me. Flavors of thyme (fresh) and cheddar cheese just didn’t come thru. Sure, texture of the bread of good but lacked flavor for me.