Broccoli Cheese Cornbread #recipe from Molly MacRae

 

Really? Broccoli in cornbread? Yes. The result is flavorful, moist, and can serve as a light lunch all on its own. A wedge is wonderful with soup or stew, though, or salad. We discovered this recipe when we ended up with an unexpected container of cottage cheese on our hands. Baking it in a skillet gave the bread a nice crust on the bottom and sides.  

 

Broccoli Cheese Cornbread

Adapted from The Savory Baker by America’s Test Kitchen.

 

Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (8 ounces) cottage cheese

3 large eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon hot sauce

12 ounces frozen broccoli florets, thawed, pressed dry with paper towels, and coarsely chopped

8 ounces (2 cups) extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, divided.

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, adjust oven rack to middle position.

Melt butter in a 10-inch oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds – until fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside.

Whisk cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Whisk cottage cheese, eggs, milk, and hot sauce together in a separate bowl.

Gently fold cottage cheese mixture into cornmeal mixture until just combined. Stir broccoli, 1 1/2 cups cheddar, and onion mixture into batter until thoroughly combined. Batter will be thick.

(Forgot to take a picture after stirring in the broccoli, cheddar, and the onion mixture.) Scrape batter into the now-empty skillet and spread in an even layer. Sprinkle remaining cheddar over the top.

Bake until cornbread is golden brown and a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean – 40 to 45 minutes.

Cool on a rack for 1 hour. Cut into wedges and serve.

 

The Boston Globe says Molly MacRae writes “murder with a dose of drollery.” She’s the author of the award-winning, national bestselling Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries and the Highland Bookshop Mysteries. As Margaret Welch, she writes books for Annie’s Fiction and Guideposts. Her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and she’s a winner of the Sherwood Anderson Award for Short Fiction. Visit Molly on Facebook and Pinterest and connect with her on X or Instagram.