The Great Debate. No, I am not talking about politics. I am talking about the debate on whether sugar should be added to cornbread or not. This debate has ruined relationships, broken apart families, and divided the nation. Okay, okay maybe that’s a bit dramatic BUT everyone does have their own opinion on whether sugar should be added to cornbread and everyone has their own take on “the best” cornbread. Some people like their cornbread plain and simple like Grandma used to make while others like theirs with fancy, exotic add-ins like hot dog weiners?! (uh-uh no thank you), but generally speaking, Northerners like extra sweet cornbread and Southerners prefer less sweet cornbread according to the Boston Globe and Feast Magazine. I have to say that I agree with my fellow Southerners that cornbread is better with no extra sugar! (Yikes!! Did I just say that??)
Anyways, bickering aside, I believe that this cornbread recipe will satisfy every preference and turn “added-sugar, Northern-style cornbread folk” into “simple, Southern-style cornbread people” with one bite; and I am here to say that I firmly believe that this cornbread recipe is hands-down the best I’ve ever had. And that is saying quite a bit.
This cornbread recipe has actual corn in it and chopped up bell peppers which add a perfect bite of texture and spice to the bread. To chop the bell peppers, I swear by my hand-held vegetable chopper. It makes chopping any vegetable SO MUCH EASIER! All you have to do is seed the peppers and roughly (and I do mean roughly) chop the bell peppers into big chunks and then chop those with the vegetable chopper into finer pieces. You can also chop the peppers with a traditional knife and it will be just as perfect. If you need a quality vegetable chopper, I have used the Zyliss Vegetable Chopper ever since I can remember. (My model is older but this link contains the newer model with all the same functions.) The bell peppers in the cornbread do not drastically change the flavor at all, they just elevate the bread to a whole new level of deliciousness. The best part of this recipe is that it uses Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix as the base and simply revamps it! So easy and so delicious!
This cornbread is also so moist and stays moist for up to a week! I even tested it! After eating a plethora of cornbread in one sitting I decided to cut a few slices and put them in an airtight container in the fridge and see how long they stay moist and I was not disappointed. The cornbread stayed incredibly moist after a week in the fridge! I’m not kidding…it did not get dry at all! Winning!
The cornbread reheats beautifully after sealed in an airtight container in the fridge. Just put however many slices you want on a plate and microwave for 15-20 seconds until warmed to your preference. You could also add a pat of butter and if you’re feeling extra fancy, a drizzle of honey.
Easy and Delicious Cornbread
Prep time: 10 min Cook time: 20-25 min Total time: 30-35 min
Ingredients
- 2 boxes Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 tsp salt
- 1- 11 oz can corn*, drained (I used Green Giant “Extra Sweet Niblets“)
- 1/2 cup bell peppers, finely chopped and seeded (Red or green is best-I used green in this recipe)
Directions
- Finely chop the bell peppers into pieces roughly the size of the corn kernels
- Strain the corn to drain liquid
- Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and stir to combine
- Pour into two greased 8×8 pans and bake at 350 for 20-25 min or until top is slightly brown and toothpick* comes out clean
**NOTE: 1. I used regular canned corn, NOT canned cream corn because I found that the cream corn added too much liquid to the bread and made it too mushy
2. “The toothpick test”– stick a toothpick in the middle of the pan and if the toothpick comes out clean, bread is ready, if it still has batter on it then bake longer
Recipe adapted from Marty’s Musings