This easy recipe for cheesy Southern spoonbread is a cross between a cornbread and a custard, and is the perfect comfort food side dish!
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I kind of can’t believe it took me THIS LONG to get a recipe for spoonbread to you, because it is something that the Southern husband orders whenever he sees it on a menu.
It’s as if cornbread and pudding had a cheesy, custardy baby.
This Southern classic side dish is warm, gentle and absolutely perfect with pretty much any main dish in your repertoire (the Southern husband votes for this easy skillet meatloaf that we love!)
What is Spoonbread? 🥄
Okay, to get a little more specific! Spoonbread is a soft, cornmeal-based side dish that is popular in the Southern United States.
Spoonbread is made from cornmeal, milk, butter, and eggs (and this in case we are going rogue by adding in some cheese). The batter is baked up in a casserole dish, and has has a pudding-like texture
Because of that it is commonly served with a spoon instead of being sliced like traditional cornbread.
Ingredients you need 🧀
Ingredient notes and substitutions 📝
- Cornmeal: You are looking for fine ground cornmeal (it also comes in coarse grind), and you can usually find it in the baking aisle…if not, try the breakfast aisle.
- Cheese: We like cheddar for this recipe, but feel free to swap in any kind you like!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.
How to make this recipe 👩🏻🍳
STEP 1: Preheat your oven to 375.
STEP 2: Spray an 8 inch springform pan with cooking spray.
STEP 3: Put some finely ground cornmeal in a pot with some water and simmer it for 5 minutes until the water is absorbed and the cornmeal is nice and thick.
STEP 4: Next, stir in some butter until it is melted, then switch to a whisk and whisk in some milk and eggs.
STEP 5: Last but definitely not least, stir in some shredded cheddar cheese.
STEP 6: Now transfer the batter to your prepared pan and bake it up for 45 minutes until it is lovely golden brown.
Now grab the nearest spoon (see what I did there?) and spoon yourself out a dish of spoonbread.
It’s going to be soft and cheesy and just a little bit creamy and a whole lot of wonderful.
Recipe FAQs 🧐
Technically no, but the coarser the cornmeal, the more texture this spoonbread is going to have. We love the traditional creamy texture, but if you want to give a coarser ground cornmeal a try, go for it!
You can! Any easily melted cheese (Monterey Jack, mozzarella and so on) will work just fine – just make sure it is shredded or finely chopped.
You can also use an 8 inch cake pan (either round or square)…I like the springform pan because it looks so pretty when you release the sides, but one way or the other it is going to be scrumptious!
I wish I could say yes, but this is one of those dishes that really does need to be served pretty close to when it comes out of the oven. I promise it is worth it!
Pop your question in the comments section below and I promise to get right back to you.
And while this is technically a side dish, the Southern husband and I have been known to have this and only this for supper. Suppertime happiness!
Equipment we used for this recipe 🥣
These are some of my favorite kitchen tools! These are Amazon affiliate links, which means I get a little something if you buy through my links at no extra cost to you. (Which helps pay for all that bacon I keep buying! 😄) And I only share things I use and love. I’m so grateful for your support!
- Measuring Cup: We love these angled cups that show the measurements on both the inside and outside of the cup.
- Measuring Spoons: These handy magnetic spoons are not on a ring, so you can just pick the one you need.
- Medium Pot: We have a drawerful of these, but this pot is the one we reach for first.
- Springform Pan: This baking dish ensures that whatever you are baking up will come out of the pan in one perfect piece.
Other side dish recipes we love! 🥰
We want to know what you think! 🤔
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section below the recipe card
Cheesy Southern Spoonbread
This easy recipe for cheesy Southern spoonbread is a cross between a cornbread and a custard, and is the perfect comfort food side dish!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Side dish
- Method: stovetop, oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 cup finely ground cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup milk
- 2 eggs, beaten to blend
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 and spray an 8 inch baking pan or a springform pan with cooking spray (round or square both work fine!)
- Put the cornmeal in a pot with 1 ½ cups of water and the salt. Bring to a simmer and cook over medium high heat for about 5 minutes, or until the cornmeal has soaked up the water.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter until it is melted. Now switch to a whisk and whisk in first the milk and then the eggs.
- Stir in the cheese and use a spatula to transfer all this spoon bread batter goodness to your pan. Bake for 45 minutes until it is a lovely golden color. Remove and serve it up with (you guessed it) a spoon!
Notes
-
- Cornmeal: You are looking for fine ground cornmeal (it also comes in coarse grind), and you can usually find it in the baking aisle…if not, try the breakfast aisle.
-
- Cheese: We like cheddar for this recipe, but feel free to swap in any kind you like!
chambolle says
A good recipe to start, but I’ve embellished it.
Used medium grind stoneground cornmeal to give it some bite. One cup of cornmeal needs a lot more than 1 1/2 cups of water if it’s going to simmer for ten minutes, closer to 3 cups. Start with 2 cups and keep adding as the cornmeal dries out.
I added a teaspoon or so of sugar to the cornmeal and a generous pinch of crushed aleppo pepper. And if you want more ‘loft,’ separate the eggs, beat the whites until they form peaks and fold the whites in just before the batter goes into the pan. Not quite a soufflé, but airier than the basic recipe.
Finally I started this in a very hot oven, around 450F, then lowered to 400F after ten minutes. Otherwise you’re not likely to get a nice golden color for quite a long time and the initial burst of heat helps to set the batter and add loft.
Hi Chambolle, and thank you so much for the detailed info – lots of good ideas here! :)
Theresa Murphy says
Yummy-ness! I agree with the Southern Husband; this would be perfect alongside some BBQ! I may take some creative liberties with the recipe and add some fresh corn kernels to the mix. And maybe just a bit of your beloved bacon, just for fun. :)
As usual, your variations are genius. How could I leave out bacon??? :)
Lawrence A. Ross says
Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe with us!
Lawrence! I’m so glad you liked it – spoonbread is definitely a fave around here! :)