Cornbread Pudding is a delicious way to use up leftover skillet cornbread! Cubes of leftover cornbread are spread in a baking dish, sprinkled with green onions, fresh herbs and cheese, then covered in a mixture of eggs and milk and baked until bubbly and lightly browned on the outside, delicate and custard-like in the center.
Cornbread pudding is delicious any time of year and makes a perfect side dish for a holiday meal. It's also incredibly versatile! Swap in your favorite cheese; I'm thinking of using smoked mozzarella next. Add bacon and serve it with a side salad for an easy lunch or dinner or top it with a fried egg for a knock-out breakfast. In the summer, add fresh corn cut from the cob for extra sweetness and crunch. You could even serve it on Thanksgiving or Christmas in place of traditional stuffing / dressing, adding fresh sage, roasted chestnuts and sausage.
Delicious Options for Leftover Cornbread
I love to make Cornbread Salad with leftover Skillet Cornbread (My go-to cornbread recipe, made with whole grain cornmeal, sweet corn, and melted butter for all of those crispy edges) or Mexican Cornbread (with jalapeños and cheddar cheese). But it's always fun to have options and this savory and moist corn casserole, similar to a Southern spoonbread, is irresistible. A riff on the one served at Etta's restaurant in Seattle - this Cornbread Pudding recipe is just lightened up a bit with a few ingredient twists.
How to Make Cornbread Pudding
Step 1: Preheat oven to 425°F. Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish (or coat with cooking spray); set aside. Whisk together milk, eggs, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
Step 2: Arrange cubes of leftover cornbread in prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle with green onions, fresh herbs and shredded cheese.
Step 3: Pour milk mixture over and let stand 10 minutes before baking.
Step 4: Bake until bubbling and set, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve hot!
Cornbread Pudding Recipe Video
Cornbread Pudding
Ingredients
- 10 ounces leftover Skillet Cornbread or other leftover cornbread, ~3 ½ cups
- butter for greasing baking dish
- 2 cups whole milk (see recipe note)
- 4 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 green onions finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
- ½ teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
- ½ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried
- 3 ounces sharp cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, salt and pepper until smooth.
- Cut leftover cornbread into 1-inch cubes and arrange in a single layer in the bottom of prepared baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with green onions, parsley, rosemary, thyme and cheese. Pour milk mixture evenly over and let stand 10 minutes to soak into cornbread.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown and set. Serve hot.
Notes
- For an even more decadent version, substitute half and half or heavy cream for some of the milk.
I had leftover cornbread from our dinner last night and I am so glad I found this recipe! I was pressed for time so I skipped the herbs. Everything else was the same. I used extra sharp cheddar.
My husband and four kids couldn't stop raving about it!!! Thank you for such a simple (and delicious) recipe!
aww...I love to hear this, Lisa! So glad that you and your family enjoyed this.
This is very tasty, but definitely cover it with foil for at least the first 20 minutes! I had the driest cornbread ever and this was a good repurpose. I did add sautéed onion and celery, which kind of made it taste more like a stuffing than a pudding, but I think the vegetables add something. It would be great with bacon or sausage!
Thank you for your cooking notes, AbbyT. Glad you enjoyed this!
that was excellent I made way too much cornbread for dressing and I was determined to not throw it away but what to do? Then this wonderful recipe so good I might make cornbread so I can have this dish
That's wonderful to hear, Joss! So glad you enjoyed it.
This is such a wonderful recipe. It's actually a meal unto itself. I used leftover gruyere cheese and it was so tasty. Will make many times more.
aww...that's wonderful to hear, Kathy! Thank you for coming back to let me know!
This was sooooo good. Thanks for the recipe.
So glad you're enjoying this recipe, Elaine!
What a beautiful website!!
Your recipes are so complete with wonderful directions and photos.
I cannot wait to begin trying your lovely recipes. Thank you so much for the time
energy and love put into your beautiful website.
Teri C.
Thank you for your kind words, Teri! My pleasure.
Do you think I could make this recipe now and freeze until thanksgiving?
Hi Dianna! Yes you can. You can either cook it completely, then freeze and reheat on Thanksgiving day. Or assemble the ingredients and freeze then cook from frozen (it will take extra time for it to cook through).
Can I try this with buttermilk?
Yes, absolutely!
I was just about to throw my 'just baked' dry crumbly cornbread
away and then found your recipe. You saved the day, this recipe
is delicious! Thank you, I will make it often now.
I love to hear this, Michele! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know!