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Secret Ingredient Jiffy Cornbread

Name: Secret Ingredient Jiffy Cornbread
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 (8.5 oz) small box Jiffy cornbread mix; 6 ounces (about ¾ cup) cottage cheese; ¼ teaspoon salt; 2 eggs; 1 cup very finely-diced yellow summer squash ((approximately 1 small squash)); ½ stick (4 tablespoons) butter, melted

Published: Jun 26, 2019 by Blair Lonergan

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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!

Slice of moist Jiffy Cornbread on a spatula

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.

Long overhead shot of two pieces of cornbread on serving plates

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.

Finely diced yellow summer squash on a cutting board

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!!!

Pouring melted butter over the top of cornbread batter

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!

Overhead shot of cornbread in a blue baking dish

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:

Piece of Jiffy cornbread on a plate with a bite taken out of it

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!

Drizzling honey over a piece of cornbread

Improve your Jiffy cornbread with even more easy recipes:

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