Spoonbread Dressing

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Spoonbread dressing has the lightly sweet and buttery taste you love in a traditional cornbread, but baked more like a soft and moist casserole that is so good you can (and should) literally eat with a spoon. My tried-and-true version of a traditional Southern spoon bread recipe includes yellow cornmeal and half & half, plus a smidge of cinnamon, for a scoopable side dish that's rich, uniquely flavorful, and right at home with any of your favorite comfort foods.

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Total Time35

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Southern

Servings: - 8 servings

Calories: 245kcal

Author: Sommer Collier

Ingredients

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup boiling water
1 cup half & half
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoon butter

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F and set an 8-inch baking dish in the oven to heat.
Set out a large mixing bowl. Place the cornmeal in the bowl and pour hot boiling water over the top. Whisk well and let the cornmeal rest for 5 minutes. Then whisk in the half-and-half, eggs, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Scrape the bowl, and whisk again until smooth.
Carefully move the hot pan out of the oven. Place 2 tablespoons of butter in the pan and swirl the pan to make sure the bottom of the pan is fully coded in butter. Once the butter is fully melted, carefully pour the spoon bread batter into the pan. If you pour it directly in the center of the pan, the butter should rise up the sides with the batter.
Place the baking dish back in the oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until the center is puffed and golden. Check the spoon bread by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, the spoon bread is ready.
Serve hot, scooped up with a spoon!

Video

Notes

Leftover spoonbread won't be as soft, but it'll still be very tender and taste delicious! I suggest letting it cool completely before transferring the leftovers to an airtight container. It will keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days, but tastes best within the first day or two.

It's also a great dish to freeze! The easiest way to avoid freezer burn is to transfer the cooled leftovers to an airtight container, and if possible, wrap that container in a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. And as I mentioned above, you can prepare the whole thing in a disposable aluminum foil baking pan, wrap the cooled container in a layer of plastic wrap and aluminum foil, and freeze.

Then thaw the frozen spoon bread in the fridge overnight. The best way to reheat it is in the oven... Short bursts in the microwave will technically work, but can make the dressing more spongey. Instead, I recommend transferring it to an oven-safe dish and lightly drizzling a tiny bit of water (or milk) over the top. Then reheat at 350°F for 5-10 minutes, until the top is crisp and the corn filling is piping hot.

Nutrition