The Day That Changed Cornbread Forever

Okay. I just have to say that my pumpkin experiment for tonight was so incredibly good that I almost don't want to share it with you, so that I can dazzle family at get-togethers and strangers at potlucks with this delicious "home baked" side dish. However, I will share it wit you anyway, because you need to eat this.

Pumpkin Cornbread.

It's not even an actual recipe. It's only technically "home baked" because you mix it up and bake it at home. It's nothing more than just a Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix with one added special ingredient - and you don't have to guess too hard to figure out what that is.

All you need is this:


Disclaimer: I don't work for the Jiffy brand or profit from them in any way, so believe me when I say, you should use the Jiffy mix. Use others if you wish, but I'm just saying... Jiffy.

So you need 1 pack of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix (8.5oz), 1 egg, 1/3 cup of milk, 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree, and olive oil for the pan. Optional: A cute kid to help you mix. Recommended.


These could be muffins, if you prefer muffins, but I like making johnny cake. To make johnny cake just right, cover the bottom of a cast iron frying pan with olive oil and preheat it in the oven at 400°F. (Use just enough oil to cover the bottom, you don't want the mixture swimming in it later.) Meanwhile, mix all the ingredients together. I actually doubled this recipe since my frying pan is large, and because we love cornbread.  Once the oil is hot, pour the mixture into the frying pan. It will instantly start sizzling and cooking around the edges, which gives it that beautiful brown crust. Put back in the oven for 25-30 minutes. (The Jiffy mix says 20-25 but with the added moisture from the pumpkin, I gave it a little longer.) Serve with butter.

Holy grains, this cornbread is AMAZING. Sometimes normal cornbread can be on the dry side, but this was so perfectly moist and tasty. And it in no way had any pumpkin flavor. You may hate pumpkin with all your squash-hating heart, but you will never know there is pumpkin in this. All the recipes for pumpkin cornbread I found wanted you to add pumpkin pie spice and sugar to make it pumpkiny, but I wanted savory cornbread, not sweet, to go with our broccoli and cheddar soup. I'm so glad I forewent the internet's advice to sweeten it and just made it plain. My kids raved about dinner all night and begged for more cornbread.  There's just enough left from my double batch to put a little slice in their lunch boxes tomorrow. If Scott and I don't eat it all before that.

This has changed cornbread for me for life. I will never make it again without pumpkin. Cornbread isn't low-carb anyway, so might as well add in the additional carbs if I'm going to serve it already and make it worth our cheat!

This is going on the Make For Every Family Holiday Get-Together Ever For The Rest of My Life list. It's that good.