14 Ways To Upgrade Boxed Cornbread

Of all the baked goods you can make from a mix, cornbread might just be the most delicious. Consisting of a few simple, traditional ingredients like flour, corn meal, sugar, and baking soda — plus the addition of milk, egg, and oil that you add before baking — boxed cornbread is a classic comfort food that's tasty and satisfying. 

Perfect to serve with chili, fried chicken, stew, savory bean soups, grilled meats, roast beef, or even BBQ, cornbread is an ideal side that goes with almost everything and makes every food it's paired with taste better. It's quick, easy to make, and super affordable — what other food like this can you buy for a few bucks or less?

And while it's great on its own, perhaps the very best thing about any boxed cornbread mix is that you can modify it to make it better — fresher, more savory, smokier, spicier, heartier, even sweeter. Stir in a bit of this or add a dash of that and it's almost like you've got a whole new dish. Need proof? Here are 14 ways to transform already crave-worthy boxed cornbread mixes into even more mouthwatering culinary delights. Enjoy!

As you're working cheese into your cornbread mix, you may also want to pair some spice with all that creaminess. Peppers — from mild, diced red or yellow bells to fiery hot jalapeños or habaneros — can be a great flavor enhancing option for any boxed cornbread. You can either add them raw or sautéed as you prepare your dish. Raw peppers will maintain more crunch as the cornbread cooks, providing brighter flavor and more texture to the finished bread. Cooked peppers, in contrast, will be tender and softer with a more mellow flavor and less pepper "bite."

Start with one diced pepper per boxed mix and then add more to the batter before baking if you really want to layer in added flavor. Or consider a mixture of complimentary peppers like green bell peppers paired with jalapeño or red bell peppers plus poblanos to create an even more complex pepper flavor within your finished cornbread. Also, remember that removing seeds from the peppers before you stir them in will help to lessen their heat; leave them in if you really want that spicy kick!

The combination of cornbread plus chili is one of the culinary world's greatest unions. But you can recreate much of the savory, comforting quality you get from that dish simply by adding canned beans to any cornbread mix — no chili or massive stockpot required!

Canned beans (whether mashed, pureed, or even left whole) add flavor, protein, and fiber to cornbread, making it even heartier and more filling. Black beans, pinto beans, and kidney beans are all good options, and each adds a slightly different level of depth and complexity to the taste of your cornbread. Add anywhere from 1/3 to 2/3 cup to your batter, slightly reducing the amount of added liquid the recipe calls for due to the extra moisture contained within the beans. The beans should be drained and rinsed and can either be chopped in a food processor, mashed with a potato masher, or left whole — again, depending on your preference.

If you're a true chili lover, you could also stir in 1 or more teaspoons of chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper flakes, garlic powder, or onion powder to even further enhance your bean and cornbread creation. Once your beans are worked into your batter, bake your cornbread as directed by the box recipe. You'll know it's done when it's golden on top and has begun to brown around the edges.

A Southern staple that's just as beloved below the Mason Dixon line as cornbread itself, pimento cheese is rich, creamy, tangy — and a perfect ingredient to add to cornbread to make it even more amazing!

To get started, first you need some good quality pimento cheese. You can either pick up a carton at your local market or make it yourself with a mixture of grated sharp cheddar cheese, cream cheese, mayonnaise, cayenne pepper, pimento juice, and pimentos. Once you have your pimento cheese in hand, adding it to cornbread batter is a breeze. Simply make your cornbread according to the box directions, then fold anywhere from 1/3 to 2/3 cup of pimento cheese into the finished batter.

Once the pimento cheese is added to your mix, bake your cornbread like normal. Note that the added pimento cheese may extend your cornbread's baking time slightly, so watch it closely and look out for those classic clues that show it's done and ready to serve, like a golden crust and slight browning in the corners of the pan. Top the baked and cooled pimento cheese cornbread with a dollop of butter — and dig in!

Caramelized onions are one of those ingredients that makes everything better, from burgers and steaks to scrambled eggs — even pizza or a grilled cheese sandwich is exquisite with caramelized onions! So it stands to reason that adding caramelized onions to cornbread batter is one more way to make something that's already tasty even more mouthwatering.

To make this incredible dish, you first need caramelized onions. Start by slicing anywhere from three to five onions and then cooking them in butter or oil over low to medium heat until they become soft, golden brown, and sweet. You'll need around 30 minutes — so you can make your onions in advance and then include them in any recipe as needed. For cornbread, you'll want 1/2 to 1 cup. Next, simply prepare your cornbread mix as directed and then stir your caramelized onions into the batter before you put it in to bake. 

Don't have time to caramelize onions but still looking for some onion taste in your cornbread? Consider adding 1 or 2 teaspoons of onion powder, diced onion flakes, or even freshly chopped green onion. All will provide that sharp, pungent onion bite you're after.

If you can't imagine stirring slices of hot dog or pepperoni into cornbread, you can get a similar meaty taste — in a slightly more elevated form — by stirring cooked, crumbled sausage into your cornbread batter. You might choose crumbled maple-flavored breakfast sausage or a robust Italian rosemary and basil-flavored sausage, or even a spicy Cajun or Creole-infused andouille sausage.

Whatever sausage you select, remove the meat from its casing and then brown it in a hot skillet until done. The cooked meat should no longer have any pink and its juices should run clear. Next, take your sausage crumbles, drain off any residual grease or oil, and fold them into your cornbread batter. Bake the meat-filled cornbread until golden and perfectly done within your loaf pan and then serve. You can pair it with spicy mustard or hot sauce, apple chutney, coleslaw or even any style of eggs. Delish!

Adding or swapping ingredients to your cornbread mix isn't the only way to elevate good cornbread to outstanding. Sometimes, all you have to do is tweak the way you serve the cornbread you've already prepared — even if you just made it exactly as the packaging suggested. For example, if you want to add smoke and char to cornbread, and make it even sweeter and crispier, just consider plopping a few slices on the grill!

Cut a slice of cooled cornbread about 1-inch thick, add some butter on both sides, and then grill on your outdoor grill until have beautiful char marks on one side. Flip, and then grill the other side to smoky perfection as well. No grill — or too cold for grilling outdoors? You can do the same thing with a good quality grill pan on your stovetop. Or, simply use your regular skillet and cook each side of the cornbread until it just starts to crisp and brown, as if you were making toast.

If baking cornbread and then frying it up sounds like too much work — and you're still yearning for some chicken and waffle goodness — then save yourself time and turn that cornbread batter directly into a waffle. This mind-blowing idea is just as easy (and tasty) as it sounds. Simply whip up your cornbread mix according to the box directions. Then, instead of baking it into a loaf in the oven, pour the batter directly into a warm waffle maker.

Lightly grease the waffle iron with cooking spray or a small amount of oil. This not only prevents the waffles from sticking but also ensures a crispy texture. Next, pour about 1/2 to 2/3 cup of batter onto the preheated waffle iron. Close the waffle iron and cook the waffles until they are golden brown and crispy on both sides — roughly four to six minutes. Then, for the fun part, serve the still warm and cooked cornbread waffles with butter and syrup, fried chicken chili, cheese sauce, or even gravy. It's a meal so filling and satisfying, even you won't believe it started with a box!