Add This Southern Staple To Cornbread For An Irresistibly Cheesy Bite

Name something more Southern than cornbread. Okay, yes, there are many Southern foods that might just win out over cornbread. Black-eyed peas, for example, are a must-have at any Southern New Year celebration, and fried chicken is a staple on any Sunday dinner table. But you know what's often served right alongside those dishes? A skillet of piping hot cornbread. And you can make the staple soul food side even more Southern, and more delicious, by adding in a dollop (or several) of pimento cheese. Yes, the signature sandwich filling of Georgia's Master's Tournament might be just the thing to add more flavor, zip, and richness to your next batch of cornbread.

The best part? Bringing these two dishes together is incredibly simple. If you're making cornbread from a mix, simply take your box of cornbread mix and combine it with 1 cup of pimento cheese and an egg. Stir, then bake as usual. The pimento cheese will be used in place of milk, and the mayo and cream cheese base of the spread will add moisture to the cornbread mix. At the same time, the cheddar cheese will give your bread a cheesy, sharp taste, and the pimentos will add just a kiss of heat to this dish. Feel free to use homemade or store-bought pimento cheese (as a Southerner, Palmetto brand pimento cheese is my favorite). You can also play around with various flavors (think: pickle, gouda, or jalapeño pimento cheese) to find your favorite combination. Or, you can get really creative and use additional mix-ins to give your cornbread even more flavor.

On its own, the combo of creamy, tangy pimento cheese and sweet, hearty cornbread is one heck of a flavor bomb. Absolutely. But it's also simple enough that it makes for the optimal canvas for even more fillings and additions. 

If you want to add even more of a spicy kick (and some sweetness to boot), you can turn your pimento cheese cornbread into an upside-down cake of sorts, except with sliced jalapeños and honey in lieu of pineapples and brown sugar. Simply arrange sliced fresh or pickled jalapeños on the bottom of your greased pan or skillet, cover in honey, then pour your cornbread batter on top and bake. Flip over once cooled and serve. Of course, you can also just toss some chopped jalapeños in your batter along with the pimento cheese and call it a day — it will still be absolutely delicious.

Want to go in a more savory direction? Why not add some bacon to your cornbread? This will lend the dish a smoky, meaty flavor that perfectly complements your tangy cheese. Simply cook down chopped bacon, drain the excess cooking fat, pat dry, and add to your batter. Smother the cooked cornbread in bacon jam or hot honey for a sweet touch of flavor that matches the savory bite. You can also add candied bacon as a topping. Sprinkle it on about 10 minutes before removing your cornbread from the oven and voila! You've got candied bacon-studded pimento cheese cornbread. Now that's a mouthful in more than one sense of the word.