What goes well with cornbread? There’s no short answer…because cornbread is such a universal side! The ideas below make a great place to start if you need some inspiration.
The pillowy delight is fantastic alongside meat-based recipes, stews, soups, casseroles, salads, and other types of main dishes.
Cornbread didn’t become so popular for no reason. To prep the batter, you just need to mix the ingredients.
Make something delicious with just a little effort? Who can say no to that?
💖 Why You’ll Love These Recipes
Variety | There are so many delicious recipes to make using cornbread as your main focal point. You can pair it with main dishes, salads, dips and so much more.
Easy | We all love easy recipes that taste like a million bucks and these sides do that and more.
Meal Prep Friendly | We love nothing more than to be able to meal prep recipes for the week. Just a few extra minutes on one day leads to stress-free evenings in the week ahead. Use your Meal Planner to organize your week’s menu and plan out when you are going to prep ahead.
🍳 Single-Ingredient Sides
Thanks to its versatility, there are quite a few foods that go really well with cornbread. Here are some classic ideas worth trying:
- Butter
- Honey
- Cheese
- Hot dogs
- Milk
- Jam
- Ice Cream
All these foods pair nicely and you can rely on these when you don’t feel like cooking.
Delicious Recipes That Go Well With Cornbread
Simple options aside, cornbread is a worthy companion for so many meals!
If you’re enjoying your cornbread simply as a snack, a dip or a sauce would be nice to have. No doubt cornbread is pretty much as versatile as regular bread.
Here are some excellent recipes to try for an incredible culinary experience:
Korean Chicken Kabobs
A gochujang marinade makes these Korean chicken kabobs super tender, and it turns into a sticky glaze that’s to die for. I love this marinade as it pairs so well and you’ll love them together.
You will need to marinate the chicken for at least two hours, although leaving them overnight in the fridge will make the meat even juicier.
Credit: damndelicious.net
Easy Country-Style Pork Ribs In The Oven
Country style pork ribs are actually not ribs. They are cuts of pork shoulder with gorgeous fat marbling that will ensure they become fall-apart tender once cooked.
This rich meal alongside a piece of fresh cornbread definitely makes my taste buds happy!
If you’re really short on time, adapt this recipe for the air fryer to speed things up.
Credit: bakingmischief.com
Grilled Jalapeño Poppers
All that melty cheese, spicy jalapeños, and crumbly bacon next to some fluffy cornbread. Sounds like my kind of comfort meal!
These poppers can be prepped ahead and you can throw them on the grill once your guests arrive, since they are best when served hot.
Credit: chillipeppermadness.com
Homemade Garlic Butter
This is such a simple idea! We already know butter and cornbread are a match made in heaven. What if you add some flavors to your butter?
Obviously, garlic butter makes a great foundation to use as you try various add-ons. Garlic itself goes well with other herbs and condiments like rosemary, parmesan, and dill.
Credit: nospoonnecessary.com
Cobb Salad With The Best Dressing
Cobb is a nutritious salad full of veggies and healthy ingredients. The crumbled blue cheese makes it very flavorful.
You can definitely eat this salad on its own, although a piece of cornbread would go along nicely!
Credit: natashaskitchen.com
Broccoli Salad
This is a gorgeous salad I am proud to serve on any occasion! And a fresh meal like this deserves some steaming hot cornbread next to it.
There is no need to make this salad on the spot. You can prep everything, dressing included, a few hours ahead and mix them before serving.
Credit: downshiftology.com
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
Any kind of hummus would go with cornbread, and this one is worth trying!
The smoky sweetness added by the red peppers tastes nothing like the classic hummus, but it is absolutely yummy.
You can roast the peppers at home or use jarred roasted peppers. Whichever you use, this hummus will turn out so much better than store-bought.
Credit: inspiredtaste.net
Cream Cheese Creamed Corn
Two corn-based dishes served together may seem redundant. It’s not!
Each has its own appeal and somehow they go great together.
Ready in 20 minutes on the stovetop, this cream cheese corn is perfect for any day when you don’t feel like spending too much time in the kitchen.
Credit: errenskitchen.com
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Cornbread and beef stew have one happy relationship. This is a slow cooker version that requires very little effort to make.
It’s also a recipe that’s perfect for meal planning. You can prep and freeze the ingredients in a heavy-duty freezer bag.
Defrost before cooking and dump everything in the crock-pot. That’s it!
One-Pot Red Kidney Beans
One-pot meals are the unsung heroes of busy workdays, right? Kidney beans are healthy and very filling, on top of the fact most people love them.
This is a great recipe to feed a crowd, and it’s ok if you end up with some leftovers.
Kidney beans reheat well and you can store them in a sealed container in the fridge for up to five days.
Credit: aheadofthyme.com
Dutch Oven Pot Roast Recipe
Slow cooked in a scrumptious sauce made with garlic, herbs, mushrooms, and wine, I love dipping a piece of cornbread in this amazing pot roast.
The dutch oven is the perfect pot to bake it slow in the oven until it turns to tender perfection.
Credit: diethood.com
Instant Pot Keto Pork Chops
Cornbread has carbs and that’s why it makes sense to eat it next to a low-carb main dish like these instant pot pork chops.
You can make this recipe ahead and freeze it or store it in the fridge. It cooks really fast in the Instant Pot.
Visit the recipe to find substitutions and variations you can try when you want something different.
Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup
The Instant Pot cooks this soup in just 20 minutes. I love eating soups like this one during the fall and winter!
If you make a larger quantity, you can store it in the fridge for up to five days.
For meal planning, you have the option of freezing it as it keeps well for up to two months.
Smoky Bacon Turkey Chowder
The smoky bacon and a hint of liquid smoke make this chowder finger-licking good!
It’s one of those recipes that lets you use leftover chicken or turkey. Even if you’re bored with those leftovers, it will turn them into a new and satisfying dish.
Credit: ibreatheimhungry.com
Variations
Plain cornbread is an excellent base you can upgrade with various delicious ingredients.
Cornbread Waffles: One thing you can experiment with is the cooking method for cornbread. These cornbread waffles with chili have a unique appeal.
Browned Butter: Browned butter is a wonderful ingredient to give your cornbread a deeper and richer flavor. You can omit the jalapeños from these browned butter cornbread muffins although a bit of heat can be fun!
Bacon and Cheese: Let’s not forget our two best friends for baking delicious snacks: bacon and cheese. It’s really a simple upgrade.
You can start with this amazing bacon cheddar cornbread and I’m sure you’ll want to try this recipe with
It is fantastic alongside meat-based recipes, stews, soups, casseroles, salads, and other types of main dishes.
Make something delicious with just a little effort? Who can say no to that?
Final Thoughts
What goes well with cornbread? I definitely recommend a hearty, soupy meal or protein. There is something divine about sopping up the juices from the meal with that piping hot cornbread that you pulled straight from the cast iron skillet.
Related Recipes
Leave a Reply