I’m currently going through a polenta phase. I started making it in the rice cooker (I’ll share soon) for breakfast on weekends and a few times during the week. Polenta is one of my favorite pantry staples because it is a vehicle for sauce and toppings and I like both of those things.
Hello, comfort food.
I’ve been trying to add cornbread into our meal prep rotation because Casey loves cornbread and I like having something on the counter to offer unexpected guests or family. It’s a great way to round out my Turkey White Bean Chili, or any chili for that matter. The problem is, I’ve been having a hard time finding a cornbread recipe that I like. On one of my many cornbread attempts, I ran out of fine cornmeal and used the polenta I had in the pantry. And here we are! I landed on a recipe for cornbread that I actually love! Most of them being bland, boring, dry or crumbly for my taste. This one definitely is the oppoosite of that.
As a person who likes texture in my bread (see the ultimate veggie sandwich and/or hippy banana bread), the polenta REALLY does it for me. There’s a nice sweetness with the sugar, a hint of tang with the buttermilk. It’s not mushy or crumbly. It’s light, with a bit of texture and a nice crispy edge. No real need to be drowned in butter like all the recipes I tried before (although that didn’t stop me from doing so!). This one has all the flavor I look for in a cornbread.
Welcome to my meal prep arsenal, Polenta Cornbread! Glad to have you. You’ll fit in nicely here and I think I might put blueberries in you next time. Just for fun!
Ingredients are gathered.
All the wet ingredients mixed.
Dry meets wet.
Hey, batter batter!
Baked in a prepared pan.
First slice.
Inspection.
All of a sudden one square turns into two…
And then you’re getting the honey out of the cabinet.
Drizzle fest.
I know who is gonna be happy for breakfast.
Spoiler alert: YOU
Polenta Cornbread
makes about 10 servings
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup polenta
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 400F. Grease bottom of a 9×9 pan with butter or cooking spray. In a large bowl, beat buttermilk, butter, and eggs with a wire whisk.
Stir in remaining ingredients just until flour is moistened (batter will have lumps). Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm.
