Healthier Corn Spoonbread

Spoonbread hails from the southern US and is a stick-to-your-ribs side dish that somehow combines the best elements of cornbread, bread pudding, and a corn soufflé. The result is a masterpiece and a dish I could eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Unfortunately the typical version relies on sour cream, lots of butter, and creamed corn to achieve its texture, making it perfect for the holidays but less perfect for your day-to-day (unless you want to take a nap after eating it).

With a couple small swaps I made version that tastes almost the same as traditional spoonbread, but which doesn’t sit quite as heavy, making it something I actually can (and have) eat for breakfast without feeling sleepy for the rest of the morning.

If you’re not quite as excited about eating spoonbread for breakfast as I am, you can enjoy it the “normal” way, alongside chili or just as a delicious side to a steak or chicken dinner.

Recipe adapted from Southern Bite.

Healthier Spoonbread (Cornbread Pudding)

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

This midwestern/southern classic was introduced to me at one of my oldest friend's annual family "chili party" and has had a special place in my heart ever since. It's a cousin of cornbread, but with a texture that somehow straddles bread pudding and a corn soufflé. The classic recipe uses lots of butter, sour cream, and creamed corn, which are all great but can sit a little heavy in your stomach if it's not holiday season. This modified recipe is a bit lighter but still has all the things I love about spoonbread — it's loaded with corn, it's just a touch sweet, and it can be eaten plain or alongside chili. It's also very tasty for breakfast served with either a fried egg or a dollop of honey greek yogurt on top.

Adapted from Southern Bite.

Print Recipe

Equipment

• 1 8" baking dish

Ingredients

• 6 Tbsp melted butter plus a little extra for greasing the pan
• 1 box Cornbread mix Jiffy brand
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup honey flavored greek yogurt whole or reduced fat preferred; can substitute plain greek yogurt + 2 Tbsp honey
• 3 eggs
• 2 cans whole kernel corn
• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375F.
• In a microwave proof bowl, add milk and cornstarch and mix well with a fork until no clumps remain. Transfer to microwave and heat in 15 second bursts, stirring in between, until the mixture thickens.
  1 tsp cornstarch, 1/3 cup milk
• Add melted butter, greek yogurt, and the milk-cornstarch paste to a large mixing bowl and whisk well to combine fully.
  1 cup honey flavored greek yogurt, 6 Tbsp melted butter
• Add eggs and salt and whisk again.
  3 eggs, 1/2 tsp salt
• Add Jiffy cornbread mix and stir with a spatula until almost combined, but with a couple of small lumps remaining.
  1 box Cornbread mix
• Add the drained corn and fold into the mixture with a spatula until just combined (there should be no more dry pockets or lumps of cornbread mix remaining at this point).
  2 cans whole kernel corn
• Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and gently smooth out the top.
• Bake for 40-50 minutes until the top is nicely browned and the center is just set with no jiggle when you shake the pan. Be careful to not overbake.
• Remove and let cool slightly before serving. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days. Spoonbread can be made ahead and refrigerated the night before and baked just to reheat the day of an event.