This Broccoli Cornbread recipe takes classic cornbread up a notch. Broccoli cornbread with cheese is a favorite Southern side that goes with practically anything. It is great for brunch too! The addition of broccoli and Cheddar helps make this cornbread incredibly savory, moist, and oh-so-delicious.
Broccoli Cornbread tastes similar to broccoli casserole. The only difference is that broccoli and cheese flavors are baked into a dense cornbread which makes for a comforting taste. You really can't go wrong with a broccoli cornbread combo.
Cornbread with broccoli and cheese is incredibly tasty and pairs well with chili, soup, and stew.
If you enjoy having homemade bread and rolls with your meals, take a look at this soft, fluffy dinner rolls recipe and cream cheese biscuits.
Broccoli Cornbread pairs well with this slow cooker beef stew and cream of tomato soup and slow cooker chicken enchilada chili.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Broccoli Cornbread with Cheese is easy to make and requires few ingredients!
- Just about everyone loves broccoli with cheese.
- If there is any broccoli cornbread leftover, it is perfect for snacking the next day.
- This is a great way to sneak in some extra veggies!
Ingredients in Broccoli Cornbread with Cheese
You probably already have most of these ingredients in your kitchen, and the recipe requires minimal prep.
- Unsalted Butter: Using unsalted butter helps you control the amount of sodium.
- Eggs: Large eggs are best for baking.
- Buttermilk: If you don't have buttermilk, you can make a substitute. For each cup of buttermilk called for, measure out a scant cup of whole or 2% milk and add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. Stir, then allow it to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. The acid from the vinegar will curdle the milk slightly.
- Milk: Whole milk and 2% milk are both acceptable for this recipe.
- Yellow Cornmeal: Preferably a stone-ground cornmeal.
- All-Purpose Flour
- Cheddar Cheese: Freshly grated cheese is best for melting.
- Fresh Broccoli: Fresh broccoli is best in this recipe.
- Onion: Both yellow and white onions will work.
- Baking Powder: One of the raising agents in this recipe.
- Granulated Sugar: A little sweetness to balance the other ingredients.
- Baking Soda: Leavening or raising agent.
- Salt: A necessary seasoning in most savory recipes.
How to Make Broccoli Cornbread with Cheese
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9X13 baking dish with butter.
2. Beat eggs in a large bowl and whisk in milk and buttermilk, broccoli, onion, and grated or shredded cheddar cheese.
3. Whisk cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. Put the dry ingredients up the sides of the bowl to make a well, then pour the egg and milk mixture into it. Stir with a whisk until combined and then stir in the butter.
4. Pour the batter into the baking dish. Put in the oven and bake until the top of golden brown and the edges are starting to pull away from the side. Also, a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. This will take about 30-40 minutes.
5. Put the baking pan on a wire rack to cool or serve warm. This will take about 1 hour of time.
6. Don’t forget to add on your favorite toppings such as butter or honey as well!
Substitutions
Don’t have the correct ingredients on hand? Or want to change something up? Here are some helpful tips for you to change this recipe for broccoli cornbread with cheese.
- You can substitute frozen broccoli for fresh broccoli. If you use the frozen chopped broccoli that comes in a solid block, you will need to let it thaw and drain first. A frozen package of only florets can be thawed slightly in the microwave then chopped into smaller bites.
- You may swap out the Cheddar for other types of cheese, though it is best to stick to a hard type of cheese such as cheddar or parmesan.
Variations
Want to personalize this broccoli and cheese cornbread? Here are some of my tried and true tips for changing up this recipe.
- Spice it up: Add a little bit of heat with jalapeños or chili powder.
- Seasonings: If you would like to add more flavor add in one teaspoon of creole seasoning or cayenne pepper.
- Meat: Want to add meat? Try adding cooked spicy sausage.
If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy savory corn muffins with bacon, cheese, and onion.
Equipment
All you need are a handful of basic kitchen tools to cook up this broccoli cornbread recipe.
- Mixing Bowl
- Knife
- Whisk
- 9x13 baking dish
Storage
- Refrigerator: If properly stored in a refrigerator, this cornbread can be kept for about 3 to 4 days. Wrap the dish tightly in aluminum foil or plastic wrap to keep it fresh longer.
- Freezer: Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn. You can freeze this recipe for up to three months.
- Reheat: To heat up, microwave the corn muffins for 30 seconds at a time until warm all the way through. Or you can reheat the muffins in the oven at 325 F degrees for a few minutes, just enough to warm up the cornbread. This should take about 5 to 10 minutes.
Tips
- Use freshly grated cheese. Pre-grated cheese contains preservatives that prevent it from melting well during cooking.
- To ensure moist, tender cornbread be careful to not overmix the batter. Whisk and stir just until ingredients are combined.
- Gently rotate the baking dish once during baking, to ensure the heat is evenly distributed, resulting in more uniform muffins.
FAQ
Do you have questions about this cheesy broccoli cornbread recipe? Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about broccoli cornbread.
No, you do not need to use self rising cornmeal. This recipe contains baking soda and salt which will act like a leavening agent. I love how fluffy this dense cornbread turns out.
Once you remove it from the oven, top with butter to help it stay moist.
Calorie per calorie, cornbread offers more nutrients than white bread. Especially so for this recipe, with the addition of broccoli.
Broccoli Cornbread is a hearty and filling dish that reminds you of being home. This recipe can be made without eggs, but the taste won't be the same. The only difference between broccoli cornbread and broccoli casserole is how it's baked into a dense bread instead of mixed with other ingredients in a pan. If you're looking for an easy to make comfort food that will fill your table, this recipe may just do the trick!
More Easy Bread Recipes
If you're looking for more easy bread recipes, try copycat Cheesecake Factory brown bread, sweet onion sage bread, and cheesy bacon pull-apart bread.
Broccoli Cornbread with Cheese
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted, plus extra for greasing
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ⅓ Cups buttermilk
- 1 ⅓ Cups milk
- 2 Cups yellow cornmeal preferably stone-ground
- 2 Cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Cup Cheddar cheese grated
- 1 Cup Broccoli pulsed in food processor or diced finely
- ½ Cup onion
- 4 Teaspoons baking powder
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 Teaspoon baking soda
- 1 Teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9X13 baking dish with butter.
- Beat eggs in a bowl and whisk in milk and buttermilk, broccoli, onion, and cheese.
- Whisk cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt together in a bowl. Put the dry ingredients up the sides of the bowl to make a well, then pour the egg and milk mixture into it. Stir with a whisk until combined and then stir in the butter.
- Pour the batter into the baking dish. Put in the oven and bake until the top of golden brown and edges are starting to pull away from the side. This will take about 30-40 minutes of time.
- Put the baking pan on a wire rack to cool. This will take about 1 hour of time.
- Don’t forget to add on your favorite toppings such as butter or honey as well!
Notes
- Use freshly grated cheese. Pre-grated cheese contains preservatives that prevent it from melting well during cooking.
- To ensure moist, tender cornbread be careful to not overmix the batter. Whisk and stir just until ingredients are combined.
- Gently rotate the baking dish once during baking, to ensure the heat is evenly distributed, resulting in more uniform muffins.
Bri
I can't believe how moist this turned out. I love this. I'm making it all the time now. With some butter!! Yummy! Totally heart warming and I didn't need alot to fill me. Ya you could eat them with anything but it's all good alone. Cheese, broccoli and cornbread. Who knew?! Love this.
Karin and Ken
I love cornbread no matter what’s in it but this recipe is definitely special. I’m so glad you’re enjoying it. Take care and all the best. Karin