Cornbread is one of the best comfort foods out there — and sometimes, when you get a craving, you want a fresh batch of cornbread quickly and easily. This may mean sidestepping the idea of making it from scratch and reaching for a store-bought boxed cornbread instead. Even though it won’t be quite as good as a made-from-scratch version, there are ways you can upgrade the often one-note boxed version. One of the best ways to do this? Make the cornbread in a cast iron skillet.
Basically, anytime you’re making cornbread — whether it’s from a box or from scratch — you should use a cast iron skillet. This is because the cast iron skillet is really good at retaining heat, making it key to achieving the crispy bottom and edges that make cornbread so delicious. This works especially well when you heat the cast iron skillet ahead of time in the oven before adding the batter. This method is also a much better option than a Pyrex dish.
Thanks to the cast iron skillet, when you sit down to enjoy your slice of cornbread, you’ll find browned, crispy edges with a moist and tender interior. In other words, you’ll be so focused on the perfect texture to think about the fact that it wasn’t made from scratch.
Other ways to upgrade store-bought cornbread mix
Using the cast iron skillet will surely go a long way in making your boxed cornbread taste a little closer to homemade — but it isn’t the only thing that you can do to upgrade your store-bought mix. One idea is to add fresh corn kernels into the batter — this will up the ante on the corn flavor and give the cornbread a more unique texture.
Or, similarly, you can add in other ingredients to mix up the flavor — perhaps you’ll take inspiration from Look’s honey sage cornbread or fig cornbread recipes. Other good options for add-ins include jalapeños, cheese, other herbs, or, for a sweeter variation, fresh fruit like blueberries.
Another way to upgrade the cornbread experience is to focus on how you’re going to serve it — namely, focus on the butter you’re going to spread atop the cornbread. While the cornbread is baking, you can spend that time making your own homemade whipped butter or even spiced honey butter.
