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A couple of secret ingredients transform your Jiffy Cornbread into a moist, fluffy and sweet side dish that pairs perfectly with any Southern supper! It’s truly the best cornbread recipe that you will ever taste — and it couldn’t be easier!
My friend Jackie came to my house on a Wednesday, with this special cornbread recipe in hand. She had just tried it at a friend’s graduation party, asked for the recipe, and then brought it to me a few days later. She claimed that it was amazingly delicious and insisted that I make it…but I was skeptical. Squash and cottage cheese in cornbread? That just seems strange!
But I have found that most of my very favorite recipes are those that have been tasted, perfected, and passed along from friends and family. So as Jackie continued to rave about this particular side dish, I knew that I had to try it. After all, squash is one of the most bountiful garden crops in Central Virginia, so it’s everywhere these days (even in my own garden!). Any recipe that takes advantage of some extra squash is an automatic bonus.
How to Make Jiffy Cornbread Moist:
This easy hack turns a standard Jiffy cornbread mix from a dry, crumbly mess into a moist, fluffy and buttery Southern treat. Here are the 5 “secret” ingredients:
- Jiffy corn muffin mix
- Eggs
- Cottage cheese
- Yellow summer squash
- Butter
First, stir together the corn muffin mix, cottage cheese, salt and eggs.
Next, finely dice a yellow summer squash (zucchini would also work)! Make sure that the pieces are nice and teeny tiny so that they blend seamlessly into the bread when baked.
Fold the squash into the batter, and then transfer the batter to an 8-inch square baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
Finally, pour melted butter over the top of the batter! Trust me — you don’t want to skip this step!!!
Bake the cornbread in a 375 degree F oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown on top and cooked through in the center. It will have a nice crisp exterior and soft, buttery, moist and fluffy inside!
What to serve with Jiffy Cornbread:
This easy cornbread recipe goes perfectly with just about any main dish meat — including barbecue, grilled chicken, pork, soups and chili! Try serving it alongside:
- Slow Cooker Cowboy Pork and Beans
- Root Beer Barbecue Chicken (for the Crock Pot or Instant Pot)
- Beef Barbecue
- Chili con Carne
- Smothered Pork Chops
Cook’s Tips and Recipe Variations:
- Dice the squash into very, very tiny cubes. That way you get the nice moisture that they add to the bread without any chunky stuff. If you cut it small, I promise that you won’t taste or even detect the squash once it’s baked. Same for the cottage cheese — it just melts into the bread and becomes undetectable in the finished product. These two surprise ingredients just add really great flavor!
- 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.
- Wrapped tightly, you can freeze cornbread for up to 3 months. Thaw the cornbread on your countertop before enjoying.
- To reheat leftover cornbread, wrap in foil and warm in a 350 degree oven for about 5-10 minutes. You can also microwave individual slices of cornbread just until warmed through — about 30 seconds.
- Note: Jiffy cornbread mix is not gluten-free, as the mix contains wheat flour.
- This cornbread is slightly sweet, without it being overpowering. We recommend drizzling with additional honey at the table!
- At first glance, this recipe might even sound healthy. After all, it includes both squash and cottage cheese! But don’t be fooled…that melted butter on top makes this a decadent and delicious side dish. And don’t even think about skipping the butter – it is definitely the best part!
Improve your Jiffy cornbread with even more easy recipes:
- Cowboy Casserole with Cornbread and Chicken
- Taco Pie
- Jiffy Cornbread with Creamed Corn (4-Ingredient Corn Pudding)
- Barbecue Chicken Jiffy Cornbread Casserole
- Orange Cranberry Corn Muffins
Secret Ingredient Jiffy Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 (8.5 oz) small box Jiffy cornbread mix
- 6 ounces (about Âľ cup) cottage cheese
- ÂĽ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup very finely-diced yellow summer squash (approximately 1 small squash)
- ½ stick (4 tablespoons) butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch x 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, mix together cornbread mix, cottage cheese, salt, and eggs. Stir in diced squash.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Pour melted butter over the batter.
- Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in July, 2013. It was updated in June, 2019.
This was amazing. Almost like a sweet corn flavored candy in a very good way. It has a rich flavor and just the right balance there to stop and think about it after you take that first bite. This could be the best cornbread that I’ve ever tasted and will probably be my go-to recipe going forward. A word of warning – this is not the bland tasteless type or cornbread I grew up with eating with soup beans, etc. This is a whole different animal. Very tasty.
Hi, Jim! I’m so glad that you found this old recipe. I agree — it’s the best cornbread that I’ve ever had! 🙂 Your comment totally made my day. Have a great weekend!
I have made this recipe for many years but misplaced the recipe. Thanks so much for sharing!
Just a note, I always just grate the squash on a cheese grater. We like both yellow squash and zucchini in this (though separately, I have never tried mixing them!). I do halve the butter with good results.
Thanks again!
Hi, Julie! I’m so glad that you love this recipe too! I had actually forgotten about it…and now I want to make a batch before summer is over! 🙂 The grating is a great idea!
I’ll grate the squash too, and probably make them as muffins.
Wonderful! Enjoy, Nancy! 🙂
I have not made this, but it is on my list, I am so glad I found you, I am not a great cook but your recipes are for me. Thank you so much.
Wonderful! Welcome, Ginger! I’m so glad that you found my site. My recipes are perfect for those who don’t like to cook or who don’t have much experience cooking. I keep it simple and tasty! 🙂
Delicious! I am so glad I found you on Instagram. I love your recipes, and this is my favorite yet. Such easy additions with delicious results! It’s my new go-to cornbread recipe. Thank you!
Yay!!! I’m so glad that you found me, too! Isn’t this cornbread such a pleasant surprise?! Who would have thought those ingredients could be so good together?! 🙂
Nothing better for a stubborn toddler than some hidden veggies. Thanks Blair. We love it!!
Yay! I’m so glad, Kim! I totally agree — having survived 3 toddlers, it can be SO HARD to get them to touch any new veggies! 🙂
Soooooo good!!! 🙂 I know what I’m making my fam for Thanksgiving now! 🙂 Seriously yummy stuff! 🙂
Excellent! xoxo
Great recipe. A wonderful, moist cornbread.
Thanks, Walter!
I have made a similar recipe with chopped broccoli for years. So excited to try this with the squash. I don’t think I will change a thing except to grate the squash (only because for me it is easier). Thanks for this recipe.
Wonderful! Hope you enjoy, April! I bet the broccoli version (with some cheese, too) would be delicious as well. 🙂
I made this cornbread for the flea market vendors. I always take food for us to enjoy. This weekend it was chili, blackeyed peas, and cornbread. Everyone LOVED the cornbread and it was cold. Imagine how delicious it would have been if it was right out of the oven. Thanks for the recipe-a keeper!
Yay! That’s so good to hear, Leia. Sounds like a fun weekend!
A keeper!
I sprinkled in a shake of smoked paprika and Aleppo pepper I had on hand to add just a tad of spice!
Will definitely make it this way again!
Sounds perfect! Thanks, Becky!
Blair,
Is the nutritional content for this recipe correct? Is there 27 grams of protein in 1/9 slice?
Thank you
Eve
Nutrition
Serving: 1/9 of the cornbread | Calories: 191.9kcal | Carbohydrates: 8.8g | Protein: 27.3g | Fat: 18.1g | Saturated Fat: 7.6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 411.9mg | Sodium: 1064.4mg | Potassium: 443.6mg | Fiber: 0.8g | Sugar: 5.9g
Hi, Eve! The nutrition facts are automatically calculated by an online calculator in the recipe card. They’re merely an estimate, and I can’t guarantee 100% accuracy. If you need to know exact calculations, I would definitely double check with another calculator or source that you trust. Hope that you enjoy the cornbread!
Does is have to be Jiffy mix. I have a package of Betty Crocker cornbread and muffin mix. It is 6.5 oz.
Hi, Marsha! I have only tested this recipe with the Jiffy brand mix in the 8.5 ounce size boxes. If you use smaller packages of the Betty Crocker mix, it will change the consistency of the cornbread — I just don’t know exactly in what way. I guess that my answer is “it will probably work, but try it at your own risk.” 🙂
I thank you for sharing your recipes.