Cornbread is a must have when visiting the South for a number of reasons, and it can be served in all sorts of ways. A few of the most frequent ways involve croissants, honey butter, bacon, fried pimento cheese bites, and fresh fruit. Another option is to serve the cornbread with a fruit cup and enjoy fresh strawberries, clementines, or apples for dessert. Cornbread is delicious and easy to make, even for those who are not that familiar with cooking. Read on for more information about these tasty dishes!
What is Cornbread Anyway?
Cornbread is a bread that is made of cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder or soda, and salt.
Cornbread is created in the southern United States and it typically has a crumbly texture when cooked. This bread can be served as a side dish to bring out the flavors of other dishes such as fried chicken. Americans often eat cornbread as a tasty side dish, and it is most common in Southern cuisine. This might be because of just how versatile it is to be served many ways, which we take a look at below.
1. Fried chicken
Fried chicken goes well with cornbread as long as you have enough bread to go around! It’s best if deep fried and served with some of the white meat and vegetables that the chicken was marinating in beforehand.
Chicken is a great dish to eat with cornbread since deep fried chicken has such a delicious flavor. It also works well as an appetizer if you are trying to impress guests or your family with your cooking abilities.
2. Cream cheese
Yes, cream cheese can be served with cornbread. It’s especially delicious when spread on top of the warm bread straight from the oven. Honey butter
Honey butter is a sweet spread that can be served in much the same way as cream cheese. It is made by melting a stick of butter with a few tablespoons of honey and mixing them together. This spread is especially tasty with cornbread, but it can also be used on toast or muffins.
3. Baked beans
It is a good idea to serve cornbread with baked beans. The two dishes work well together due to the creaminess and sweetness present in the baked beans and the crumbly texture of the cornbread. Baked beans can be added to a crockpot or to a Dutch oven and baked in the oven at 350 degrees for 1-2 hours. Baked beans, or Boston baked beans, are a dish of Boston origin consisting of baked white or navy beans and molasses.
4. Pimento cheese bites
Pimento cheese bites are a must-try especially when it’s served with cornbread. They’re made by combining cream cheese with diced pimentos in a bowl (or in a food processor if you want them even easier). They’re then added to a breading and deep fried. They can be made into smaller bites or balls, depending on the amount of people you’re feeding.
5. Fresh fruit
Fresh fruit may not seem like an appetizing way to serve cornbread, but it tastes great when paired with the right tangy spread. Yogurt or cottage cheese will make the fruit taste even better.
A fruit cup and cornbread are a quick and easy way to enjoy fruit as a breakfast or dessert. Whether served hot or cold, the cornbread makes for a hearty base that can be topped with fresh fruit in all sorts of different ways. There are tons of fruit options available, but strawberries, clementines, and apples are just some that can be used.
The cornbread is best served warm; it’s perfect for cold winter days when you need something to warm you up! The soft texture contrasts nicely with the sweet fruit taste providing some tangy zip that will leave your taste buds happy!
6. Banana Pimento Cheese
A filling similar to jalapeno poppers which is served on top of slices of cornbread and covered in cheese. The banana and the pimento cheese (and possibly the cornbread) is why it’s called a Bananapop.
A banana pimento cheese is made by combining cream cheese with diced pimentos and bananas for a sweet and savory dish. A food processor can make this dish even easier.
The banana pimento cheese is perfect for any meal. It can be served warm or cold and it’s different from the traditional cornbread with its sweet taste.
A nice way to serve banana pimento cheese is as a side dish alongside cornbread. It looks very inviting, making it worthwhile to serve a number of times in order to make sure everyone gets a chance to have it.
7. Fried pimento cheese bites
Pimento cheese is a crumbly olive-based cheese made from mozzarella and cheddar cheeses that have been mixed with various herbs, spices and seasonings. Pimentos are spiked with paprika to give the cheese a kick of spicy flavor. These little bites of heaven combine two favorite Southern foods in one: fried pimento cheese and cornbread. Fried pimento cheese balls are frequently served at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas, Texas. They are made in the same way as the Bananapop, but instead of freshly fried banana slices you use fried cheese. Pimento cheese is a spread that is popular in the South and was developed as a way for farmers to preserve their harvest of peppers when they had a surplus. It is also popular in Pennsylvania, Texas, Alabama and Georgia.
8. Honey Butter
Honey butter pairs well with cornbread, and you can also use it as a dip for the bread.
The honey butter can be served in the same manner as cream cheese – on top of cornbread that has been warmed in the oven or microwave. The result is a sweet, creamy topping that goes great with your favorite bread. It is also excellent when placed inside a crumbly croissant.
9. Bacon
Bacon is the perfect crispy topping for this bread! Laying slices of bacon across your cornbread is a simple but effective way to serve it. While fried pork belly can be quite delicious just on it’s own, it can complement cornbread quite well when paired with it as well. Fried pork belly is frequently available as a prepackaged item, but if you prefer to make your own, you are free to do so.
Bacon may not seem like an appetizing topping for cornbread, but it tastes great when done correctly. Bacon slices may be fried, baked, and even grilled to make all sorts of foods exciting. But the most popular way is to simply add it to cornbread, which is the best way to serve your favorite American dish.
10. Muffins
Muffin tins are another easy way to prepare cornbread that tastes like muffins. Just fill them up with your batter and bake! You may want to add fruit in the middle or drizzle some honey over top of them before baking them.
Cornbread is often served with hot muffins. It is a mainstay of Texan cuisine, and is commonly used as a breakfast food, especially when it is served with bacon.
11. Slices of Fried Cornbread
Fried cornbread is sort of like a savory corn muffin and is easy to make. It’s quick to fry up when you want something warm and savory with your meal, but not as hot as a traditional piece of fried chicken. It is very similar to Japanese okonomiyaki, except a little sweeter. You do not need to use cornbread for this, but the corn flavor does work well with the okonomiyaki sauce typically used in Japan.
12. Ice cream
It is not a secret that cornbread comes with a side of butter and it is also not a secret that dairy products are usually served with ice cream. Cornbread goes great with ice cream, either as a dessert or as an appetizer if you are doing some sort of southern delicacy theme.
13. Tequila
Cornbread is not the only thing that goes well with tequila, and this drink is perfect for sipping by a fire on a cold night. A typical drink of this type contains tequila, orange juice, lemonade, and lime wedges. If you prefer to make your own version of Jamexico instead of buying it pre-made at the store, then mix together some dark rum or whiskey with tequila and leave out the rest. This is the perfect drink for sipping in front of a fireplace or grill!
14. Texas caviar
A dish that is traditionally made up of Spanish rice, chopped white onion, cornbread, black beans and jalapenos wrapped up in cheesecloth and boiled until done and then sliced into little pieces; sometimes served cold since they are usually brought back to the bar after being made at home.
It is usually a dish that is served for holidays and special occasions such as weddings, birthday parties and Christmas Eve. It is eaten with lime juice, salt and pepper to accentuate the flavor. Caviar, however, can also be used as an appetizer or side dish during Thanksgiving dinner or much like Thanksgiving itself an American-Canadian holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November each year.
FAQs on Serving Cornbread
Does cornbread count as a whole grain?
Yes, it does. However, if you are eating cornbread, you actually want to have some of the healthy whole grains like oats that can be made into cornbread. Cornmeal is really just a ground up cereal grain, and whole grains are much better for you.
Is this recipe gluten free?
Yes and no. If you are not going to be sensitive to gluten, then this recipe is gluten free. However, if you have celiac disease or very severe gluten intolerance, you will want to substitute oat flour instead of whole wheat or all-purpose flour. Cornbread made with oat flour is just as good without any inflammation problems that may come from wheat. Oat flour is a great choice for gluten free breads that are good for you. Cornbread made with whole wheat flour is not a healthy food, so it should be avoided unless you eat it in moderation and in combination with other foods higher in nutrients and lower in calories.
Can I make cornbread from white cornmeal?
Yes, but I wouldn’t recommend it. White cornmeal is a very refined grain that has been treated with bleach to make it white (even though it is still yellow). White cornmeal also lacks the nutrients that original corn kernels have and it is a highly processed product. I would not use this kind of cornmeal in any recipe, and definitely not for anything that you are eating just plain.
Are there other grains that I could use instead of whole wheat flour?
You can use oat flour or brown rice flour instead of bread flours if you go off-track and eat too much cornbread. The flour substitutions are not necessary, and whole wheat flour is still a healthy grain.
Can I serve cornbread warm?
Yes, you can serve cornbread warm with any kind of meal. It’s actually quite good warm with potato dishes and other starchy side dishes. You can also just eat it without anything else for breakfast (since it is high in protein). Just be sure to use your favorite bread recipe for cornbread and keep the liquid in the batter to a minimum (a teaspoon or less).
It All Fries Down to…
The fact is there are many interesting ways of serving cornbread (including eating it by itself!). The method you chose to serve your cornbread will depend on the occasion, how fast you need your dish ready and of course, if you are expecting some friends or family from the South of America.