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This Jiffy broccoli cornbread is moist, tender, and fluffy! The easy side dish is delicious alongside a warm bowl of soup or chili, a pot of beans, smoky greens, pulled pork, fried chicken, a holiday turkey, glazed ham, or your favorite grilled meat.
Table of Contents
A box of Jiffy corn muffin mix in the pantry offers so many mealtime possibilities! From a main dish casserole to a holiday-worthy side dish or a pan of broccoli cornbread, this little old-fashioned box can do it all! With about 10 minutes of prep and a handful of simple ingredients, you can stir together the batter for this sweet-and-savory twist on classic cornbread.
What to Add to Cornbread
There are so many different ways to jazz up cornbread. Here, we’re adding veggies in the form of broccoli; butter and cottage cheese for flavor, moisture, and richness; and onion powder for a savory touch.
Other good options include grated cheddar cheese, garlic, onion, jalapenos, pimentos, diced bell peppers, creamed corn and sour cream, or yellow squash and zucchini. For a sweet version, you might like to mix some blueberries, cranberries, or orange zest into your batter.
Ingredients for this Broccoli Cornbread Recipe with Cottage Cheese
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for this simple broccoli cornbread recipe. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Eggs: give the cornbread structure.
- Boxes of Jiffy cornbread mix: you’ll need two boxes of this cornbread mix.
- Frozen chopped broccoli: thawed and drained before using. If using whole broccoli florets, dice them into smaller pieces before adding to the batter.
- Cottage cheese: adds a slightly cheesy flavor, as well as moisture and richness.
- Salted butter: the melted butter contributes flavor and moisture as well.
- Onion powder: for a hint of savory flavor in the background. Use more onion powder for a stronger taste.
How to Make Broccoli Cornbread
Start with a couple of boxes of Jiffy mix for the easiest cheesy broccoli cornbread recipe you’ll ever make! It’s ideal for a casual Sunday supper with a bowl of chili, and also decadent enough for a holiday meal on Thanksgiving or Christmas. Plus, it’s a great way to add extra veggies into your family’s diet. I’ve included the detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the quick version:
- Stir together all of the ingredients.
- Transfer the batter to a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
- Bake for 32-35 minutes, or until done.
- Slice and serve!
What to Serve with Broccoli Cornbread
Pair the simple broccoli cornbread recipe with any of these entrees:
- Chili (like this Slow Cooker Chili, Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Chili, Classic Beef Chili, Texas Chili, Instant Pot Turkey Chili, White Bean Chicken Chili, Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili, or Pumpkin Chili)
- Soup (such as Beef Barley Soup, Grandmother’s Hamburger Soup, Chicken Vegetable Soup, Split Pea Soup, Hamburger Soup, Sausage and Bean Soup, or Creamy Cauliflower Soup)
- Stew (like this Brunswick Stew, Chicken Stew, or Dutch Oven Beef Stew)
- Beans (such as Appalachian Beans and Greens, Southern Lima Beans with Ham, Hoppin’ John, Black-Eyed Peas, Ranch Style Beans, or Cowboy Baked Beans)
- Barbecue (like these Crock Pot Ribs, Pulled BBQ Chicken, Dutch Oven BBQ Beef, Crock Pot Pork BBQ, or Pulled Pork)
- Roasts (like Dutch Oven Pot Roast, Pork Roast with Gravy, and this Mississippi Pot Roast)
- Seafood ( such as Shrimp and Grits, Crab Cakes, Grilled Salmon, New Orleans Style BBQ Shrimp, and Shrimp Creole)
- Fried Favorites (such as Fried Chicken, Fried Catfish, Oven-Fried Fish, Fried Oysters, or Fried Shrimp)
Preparation and Storage
Cornbread is best when freshly baked and warm from the oven, but you can prepare it up to 8 hours in advance and leave it on your countertop until ready to serve. To extend the life of your cornbread, store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week.
How to Freeze
Wrapped tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil, the cornbread will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw on your countertop or in the refrigerator before enjoying.
How to Reheat
Warm individual slices of cornbread in the microwave for 15-30 seconds, or until heated through. To reheat a full pan of cornbread, cover with foil and heat in a 350°F oven until warmed through (about 5-10 minutes).
Recipe Variations
- Broccoli Cheddar Cornbread: add 1-2 cups of grated cheddar cheese to the batter.
- Jalapeño and Cheese: add 1-2 chopped jalapeno peppers to the batter, along with 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese.
- Green Chiles or Green Onion: stir 1 small can of diced green chilies or a couple tablespoons of sliced green onion into the batter.
- Make a smaller pan of cornbread by cutting all of the ingredients in half and baking the cornbread in an 8-inch square pan.
Tips for the Best Broccoli Cornbread Recipe
- Room temperature ingredients (such as eggs and cottage cheese) blend more smoothly and easily than cold ingredients.
- Let the batter rest for 5-10 minutes before baking, if you have the time. This allows the baking powder or other leavening agents to activate and incorporate more air.
- Don’t over-mix the batter or it will become tough and dense.
- The total baking time will vary depending on the type of pan that you use, and on your individual oven. To check if the cornbread is done, insert a toothpick into the center and make sure it comes out clean.
More Jiffy Cornbread Recipes to Try
Broccoli Cornbread
Ingredients
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 boxes (8.5 ounces each) Jiffy corn muffin mix
- 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained
- 8 ounces cottage cheese
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, melted
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish; set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together the eggs, corn muffin mix, broccoli, cottage cheese, melted butter, and onion powder just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Spread the batter in the prepared baking dish.
- Bake for about 32-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cornbread comes out clean.
Notes
- Room temperature ingredients (such as eggs and cottage cheese) blend more smoothly and easily than cold ingredients.
- Let the batter rest for 5-10 minutes before baking, if you have the time. This allows the baking powder or other leavening agents to activate and incorporate more air.
- Don’t over-mix the batter or it will become tough and dense.
- The total baking time will vary depending on the type of pan that you use, and on your individual oven. To check if the cornbread is done, insert a toothpick into the center and make sure it comes out clean.
Can anything be substituted for the cottage cheese in the broccoli and cheese cornbread? I can’t tolerate cottage cheese.
Hi Elizabeth,
We have seen it replaced with mascarpone or Greek yogurt. However, we have not tried it and cannot speak to the results. We have lots of other cornbread recipes without cottage cheese you might enjoy!
Curious why you didn’t use cast iron skillet?
Hi, Amy! You totally can! You know I love a cast iron cornbread. 🙂 This recipe is larger than other cornbread recipes, so it does well in the 9 x 13 dish. I know that not everyone owns larger cast iron pans (in the 12-14 inch range), so I stuck to the standard baking dish instead. Feel free to use a big cast iron skillet if you have one, though!