Cheesy Skillet Cornbread
Loaded with cheddar cheese and fresh corn, this Cheesy Skillet Cornbread is a great side dish for late summer or fall meals!
This Cheesy Skillet Cornbread post is sponsored by Cabot Creamery, but the recipe and opinions are entirely my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Spiced!
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If you love cheesy cornbread recipes, then add this one to your list! This isn’t your run-of-the-mill cornbread. For starters, it’s got a couple ears of fresh corn kernels mixed directly into the batter. And it’s got 1½ cups of shredded cheddar cheese in there, too. Add in the crispy, buttery edges that come with baking this cornbread in a cast iron skillet, and you’re in for a real treat!
This Cheesy Skillet Cornbread is one of those recipes that crosses seasons. A big wedge of this cornbread is fantastic with classic fall comfort food like soups, stews and chili. However, this cornbread also pairs well with summer favorites like bbq ribs, pulled pork and smoked brisket. It’s versatile!
Cheesy Skillet Cornbread
The flavor of this cornbread is off the charts, too! I added a bit of all-purpose flour along with the yellow cornmeal to soften up the texture a bit. I also used a tablespoon of sugar in there, too – this isn’t an overly sweet cornbread, but the sugar helps balance the other savory ingredients.
For liquid, I opted for a bit of melted butter (because butter makes everything better!), one large egg and a cup of buttermilk. Whenever I bake cornbread, I always recommend buttermilk – the extra flavor truly is noticeable!
This cornbread would be delicious as is, but I took this recipe a step further and added a generous amount of shredded Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese. As the cornbread bakes in the oven, the cheese melts into the bread. The first thing you’ll notice is that your kitchen will smell amazing as this cornbread is baking. Then once it comes out of the oven? Holy cow! The taste is out of this world!
When it comes to cheese in our house, we are Cabot fans through and through. I always keep a variety of Cabot cheddars in the fridge both for snacking and baking. Handy tip: an 8oz. bar of cheddar cheese will produce ~2 cups of shredded cheese. This recipe calls for 1½ cups of cheese. The other ½ cup? It went into the fridge where it will be used for cheesy scrambled eggs tomorrow morning!
As noted in this Cheddar Cheese Crackers post from last month, we recently moved from upstate New York down to Asheville, North Carolina. Cabot’s cheeses are made in New York and Vermont, so I never had any trouble finding any of their different flavors there in New York.
I was worried about what I would find in North Carolina, though. Their horseradish cheddar is fantastic in scrambled eggs – but would it be available down here? It is! We had no trouble restocking our fridge with Cabot cheeses, butter and yogurt after the move. Just check out their product finder to see what Cabot products are available in your area!
I went with Cabot’s Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese for this cornbread – Seriously Sharp is one of Cabot’s flagship cheddars. It’s fantastic! If you can’t find Seriously Sharp, any of Cabot’s other cheddar cheeses could be used in this recipe instead. In fact, a blend might be fun – ½ sharp cheddar and ½ habanero cheddar? It would be great if you like spicy foods! Or I might try using some of that horseradish cheddar next time. The options are endless here!
This cast iron skillet cornbread is perfect for late summer when fresh corn is available. I used the kernels from 2 ears of corn in this cornbread, and it was a fun addition. (If fresh corn isn’t available, you can use canned or frozen corn instead.)
If you’re hunting for a fantastic late summer or fall side dish, then put this Cheesy Skillet Cornbread on the menu! It’s easy to mix up the batter, and the taste is fantastic. Happy baking!
Did you make a batch of this Cheesy Skillet Corn bread at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me (@Spicedblog) and Cabot (@CabotCheese) on Instagram – we’d love to see your version!
Cheesy Skillet Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1½ cups shredded Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese divided
- 1 4-oz. can diced green chilies, drained
- ¼ diced white onions
- ¼ cup chopped green onions
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter melted, divided
- 1 large egg
- 1½ cups fresh corn sliced off of cob (~2 ears)
Instructions
- Place a 10” cast-iron pan in oven; preheat oven to 350°F.
- Using a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients (cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, garlic powder and salt); whisk together until well combined.
- Add 1 cup of shredded cheese, green chilies, white onions, green onions, buttermilk, 3 Tbsp of melted butter, egg and corn; stir until mixture is just combined.
- Remove hot skillet from oven and add remaining 1 Tbsp of melted butter; brush butter around bottom and sides of skillet.
- Pour batter into skillet. Sprinkle remaining ½ cup of shredded cheese on top.
- Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes, or until top of cornbread is golden brown in color and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out mostly clean.
- Remove skillet from oven and let cornbread cool slightly before serving. (Note: Serving the cornbread in the skillet helps keep it warm – just make sure to place skillet on a hot pad before placing it on the table!)
Notes
Looking for more cheesy recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
cant wait to make this soon for me can i use vegan cheese and butter i never had cheesy skillet cornbread before perfect for my after office meals love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
You can certainly use vegan options if you’d like, Ramya! I haven’t tried those myself, but I would imagine they would work well in this cornbread recipe. I hope you enjoy it!!
Cornbread cooked in a skillet really is fabulous, plus easy. I’ve overcooked it in the past. Boo. Yours looks perfect!
Thanks so much, Mimi! And, yes, overcooked cornbread is definitely a bummer. 🙁
the sharper the cheddar the better i always say:) It’s a huge task moving house. I dread the thought… Your cornbread looks delicious. i like to add corn kernels too. cheers!
Oh I am totally with you on that, Sherry! I love a good sharp cheddar cheese. The fresh corn in this cornbread was a fun addition, too! (And you are 100% right about moving a whole house. I don’t plan on doing that again for a long, long time. Haha!)
I am a huge fan of savoury polenta and cornbread. But I’ve only had plain or subtly sweet cornbread. Savoury version loaded with cheese? Fantastic – I definitely need to give it a try!
Cornbread is like a blank canvas, Ben! You can play around with adding other ingredients. Sometimes I like to slice a jalapeno into rings and lay ’em around the top of the batter before baking. It adds a lot of flavor – and it looks really cool, too!
Howdy David,
Well, I came back from my blogosphere break to be treated to this fantastic-looking cornbread. Brings back memories of my granny’s jalapeno, corn, and cheese cornbread. Man was it good with a big bowl of beans, as I’m sure yours would be…
Hey there, Ron!! So glad to see you back in the blogosphere. 🙂 I do love a good cornbread. Rustic, delicious and comforting. Perfect for this time of the year! Looking forward to catching up more with you soon!
i love cornbread tho i haven’t made it for yonks. i like to put some frozen corn kernels in it. gives it a bit of texture! Delish!
Yes! The fresh corn kernels (or frozen depending on time of the year) add a fun texture. You should make a batch soon!
oh i’ve just remembered i already commented here. not sure what happens to my comments tho 🙁 I think i was saying before that a sharp cheese is a good cheese! The sharper the better really.
Haha – I can see all of your comments, Sherry! I’m wondering if you might just need to hit refresh on your end?? Either way, I don’t mind one bit!
I’m a big fan of cornbread and this one sounds really delicious. I mean, who doesn’t like cheese, amirite? Although my expanding waistline might object to that amount of butter and cheese, I want to try this out soon!
Haha – life is all about balance, right? 🙂 This one is fantastic, though, so I hope it makes an appearance in your kitchen soon! We ate leftover slices with a grilled chicken breast, and it was pretty great.
That’s a great looking cornbread! I love a little extra cheese in just about everything, and adding it to cornbread sounds perfectly delicious!
Adding cheese is always a good idea! This cornbread is tasty by itself…but the added cheddar? Oh boy – it’s fantastic!! Thanks, Kathy!
Your cornbread looks delicious David! I really do need to pull out my cast iron skillet and dust it off for winter coming. This looks like the perfect recipe to do that with! 🙂
Thanks, Neil! Yes…pull out that cast iron skillet! Cornbread is one of those fun foods that can cross over well between summer meals and fall/winter meals. This one is delicious!!
My husband and I are both cornbread fanatics – we’d gladly make a meal of it with a simple side of pinto beans. Then you add cheese! Totally irresistible.
Cheese really does make everything better, right!? 🙂 Thanks, Marissa!
I’ve been AWOL as I had to give up my beloved food blogs for a while—too much work, no time to play. But oh my goodness, this looks fabulous—from a southern girl who makes a lot of cast iron skillet cornbread but no ever anything this fancy! But ASHEVILLE! My daughter lives there, and I am just in love with the town! I’m only 5 hours away so it’s not too far for a a few visits a year. Last September, I took her to Folly Beach and your recommendations for dining were all spot on! I’m looking toward to my October visit—favorite time of year. But coincidentally (I just read your cheese cracker recipe), I’m spending 2 weeks in Bethel, Vermont with my sister (she has a place there) and looking forward to getting some Cabot cheeses that we don’t get in Tennessee (like the extra-extra aged ones).
Oh I totally get it, Kim! We’ve been slammed here, too, as we finished our move from New York down to Asheville this summer. We’re in the ‘hanging pictures’ phase now…so almost there! 🙂 Let me know next time you come to town!? We can certainly use restaurant recommendations from a local!
Do give this cheesy cornbread a try when you get a chance. It’s delicious! And do make sure to pack a cooler to bring back all of those delicious extra-extra aged Cabot cheeses. We love Vermont, and the thought of spending a couple weeks there is pretty awesome!! You should take a trip up the Cabot store in Waterbury Center – I googled it and it looks like it’s only 45 minutes from Bethel!
What size pan do you recommend if I don’t have a cast iron skillet?
I would love to make this for the weekend with goulash.
Thanks!
Hey Kim! My apologies for the delay in responding to you – we just got internet back yesterday following Hurricane Helene. If you don’t have a 10″ round pan, you could bake this recipe in a 9″ square pan or 9″x13″ rectangular pan. The square pan would be slightly thicker while the rectangular pan would be slightly thinner…so just pay close attention to the baking times. I hope you get a chance to try this cornbread – it’s delicious!!