12 Easy Recipes You Can Make With a Bag of Cornmeal
There are so many tasty ways to use up this unassuming pantry staple.
Cornmeal is one of those pantry staples that’s easy to forget about until a recipe calls for it—and then you remember just how useful it is. Made from dried, ground corn, it’s the ingredient behind the tender crumb of cornbread, the crispy coating on plenty of fried foods, and even the perfect texture in everything from cookies to dumplings. It also brings its signature corn flavor and golden color wherever it goes. Not bad for a bag everyone pushes to the back of the pantry!
To put it to good use, we’ve rounded up easy cornmeal recipes that cover breakfast, dinner, dessert, and plenty of snacks in between. (Most of these call for yellow cornmeal in a fine or medium grind.) You’ll find quick family dinners, party appetizers, and sweet treats, along with plenty of classics like skillet cornbread and corn muffins. Cornmeal can give baked goods a soft, delicate texture, add crunch to fried chicken and shrimp, or become the star of the recipe itself in hushpuppies and corn dogs. So before that half-used bag gets pushed any farther into your cabinets, put it to work with one of these easy cornmeal recipes.
Corn Muffins
These corn muffins have yellow cornmeal to thank for their airy texture and golden color. Serve them straight from the oven with a generous smear of homemade honey butter for the ultimate sweet-and-savory side.
Get the Corn Muffins recipe.
Air-Fryer Fish
After flaky white fish is coated in yellow cornmeal and golden breadcrumbs, it cooks up with an irresistibly crispy crust in the air fryer. Dunk the fillets in tartar sauce and add a side of fries for an easy family dinner.
Get the Air-Fryer Fish recipe.
Cornmeal Cookies
Medium-grind cornmeal gives these crisp, buttery cookies a subtle crunch that makes them almost impossible to pass up. A sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top balances out the sweetness beautifully.
Get Ree’s Cornmeal Cookies recipe.
Skillet Cornbread
If you have a bag of cornmeal sitting in the pantry, put it to very good use with Ree’s famous skillet cornbread. Baking it in cast iron gives the edges that signature crunch while the top turns beautifully golden.
Get Ree’s Skillet Cornbread recipe.
Jalapeño-Cheddar Corn Dogs
Wrapped in a crispy cornmeal coating and doctored up with cheddar and jalapeños, these corn dogs are such a fun treat for birthday parties, backyard cookouts, and game-day tailgates. Even better, they’re ready in just 40 minutes!
Get Ree’s Jalapeño-Cheddar Corn Dogs recipe.
Upside-Down Tomato Cornbread
Give classic cornbread a fresh, juicy spin by adding sliced tomatoes to the cornmeal batter. Once it’s flipped out of the pan, that colorful tomato topping is guaranteed to steal some attention at the table.
Get the Upside-Down Tomato Cornbread recipe.
Chicken and Dumplings
Comfort food at its finest, Ree’s fan-favorite chicken and dumplings uses cornmeal to give the dumplings just the right consistency. “Without the cornmeal, the dumplings can become gummy and overly glutenous,” Ree notes.
Get Ree’s Chicken and Dumplings recipe.
Olive Oil Cake
Cornmeal might seem like an unexpected addition to olive oil cake, but it helps give this simple dessert its tender crumb and sunny hue. And it wouldn’t be complete without a generous shower of powdered sugar!
Get the Olive Oil Cake recipe.
Hushpuppies
Golden and crispy on the outside, soft and cake-like on the inside—hushpuppies give you the best of both worlds. Throw them together in 30 minutes for a party appetizer or after-school snack.
Get the Hushpuppies recipe.
Shrimp Po'Boy
This recipe lets you savor a New Orleans favorite without leaving home. Crispy cornmeal-coated shrimp get stuffed into crusty bread with spicy mayo, pickle chips, lettuce, and tomato. Yes, please!
Get the Shrimp Po'Boy recipe.
Fried Green Tomatoes
Green tomatoes dredged in cornmeal breading and fried in piping-hot oil make one seriously tasty summer snack.
Get the Fried Green Tomatoes recipe.
Bacon-Cheddar Skillet Cornbread
If you’re already a fan of Ree’s skillet cornbread, wait until you try this version packed with smoky bacon, sharp cheddar, and fresh chives. It’s the kind of side that might just outshine the main!
Get Ree’s Bacon-Cheddar Skillet Cornbread recipe.
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