This Jiffy Mexican Cornbread is made with the vegetarian (lard-free) version of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix and gets a double moisture boost from both sour cream and cream-style corn added to the batter. It's exceptionally tender, almost leaning towards a Mexican cornbread casserole, and very easy to make.
The layered mixing technique explained in the recipe promotes a lusciously soft crumb.
Post Summary
In a hurry? This summary covers the essential points.
- ⏰ Meal Prep: 10 minutes. Cook Time: 35-40 minutes.
- 🍽️ Servings: Baked in a 8"X8" dish, it makes 9 servings.
- ⭐️ Difficulty: Easy with simple ingredients.
- 🌽 This moist, tender cornbread dresses up Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix with sour cream, cream-style corn, green chiles, and cheddar cheese.
- 👩🍳 Dietary: This recipe uses the vegetarian, lard-free Jiffy Corn Muffin mix, and you'll need 2 boxes.
- 📌 Key tips: Whisk in each wet ingredient one at a time for a tender cornbread. Don’t over-mix once the Jiffy mix goes in.
- 🫙 Storage: 2 days on the counter; 5 days in the fridge; up to 3 months in the freezer.
- ❌ Heads up: Not recommended as mini-muffins.
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Cornbread is a perfect side dish to many meals. When I make it from scratch, I make this easy buttermilk cornbread. And my grandkids love this tomalito, which is a sweeter, moist type of cornbread.
It's great as a topping. For example chili - I have a recipe for that in my cookbook and well eventually get it on here. This zucchini and corn casserole is topped with cornbread and has been a hit every time I make it. And I use it as one of the layers in this Vegetarian Tamale Pie.
Main Ingredient Notes
This list only covers ingredients that require some notes. Go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post for a complete listing of the ingredients, measurements, and directions.
- Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix - Use the vegetarian version that doesn't use lard or buy Marie Callender's Corn Bread Mix, which is vegetarian. One package of Marie Callender's mix equals 2 boxes of the Jiffy mix.
- Sour Cream - Both full-fat or light versions of sour cream work well in this recipe.
- Cream-Style Corn - Do not substitute plain corn kernels.
- Cheddar cheese - Monterey Jack and Pepper Jack cheeses are good substitutes for the cheddar or a packaged blend of Mexican cheeses.
- Green chilies - you can purchase these canned in most grocery stores, or purchase Hatch chilies roasted and chopped from the Hatch Chile Store. (They offer free shipping, and their chilies are fantastic.)
Why This Mexican Cornbread Recipe Works
- The sour cream adds moisture to this Jiffy Mexican cornbread and helps to make it super tender. (Adding buttermilk to this southwestern corn casserole with Jiffy Mix does the same thing.)
- The cream-style corn adds both moisture and corn kernels to the batter, emphasizing the corn flavors.
- Stirring each ingredient individually into the batter promotes a tender luscious texture.
How to Simplify and Save Time
- I keep a bag of pre-roasted Hatch chiles in the refrigerator and a couple more bags in the freezer to make it easy to add to recipes such as this one. Visit the Hatch Chile Store to order your own. (This is not a sponsored post. I'm just a fan.)
Preparation Tips
- Whisk each ingredient into the batter individually before adding Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix. This promotes a luscious, tender texture. But only stir in the Corn Muffin Mix and cheddar cheese long enough to incorporate all of the ingredients. It's totally fine if it's a little lumpy.
- Grate your own cheese if you have time. Pre-grated cheese is coated with a cellulose coating to keep the cheese from caking. Other negatives of pre-grated cheese: the coating mutes the flavor of the cheese, and prevents the cheese from melting as quickly.
Ideas for Possible Variations
- Add some frozen corn to the batter in addition to the cream-style corn if you like more corn kernels in your cornbread.
- Add sliced scallions (green onions) to the batter.
- Top the batter with thin slices of fresh jalapeño pepper just before sliding into the oven.
- The roasted chiles don't add a great deal of heat, but feel free to eliminate them if you don't want any heat at all.
- If you have little more time, dice half of a red bell pepper, and sauté in a little olive oil until softened, and fold into the batter.
- Use Monterey Jack cheese or Pepper Jack cheese in place of the cheddar cheese. You can also use pre-grated Mexican blend cheese, although I prefer to grate my own cheese (see the above Preparation Tips section.)
FAQ
Once the cornbread is completely cooled, either cover with plastic wrap and keep on the counter for up to 2 days or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Yes. After the cornbread completely cools to room temperature, freeze it up to 3 months in an airtight container. I recommend wrapping each piece in plastic before arranging in an airtight container to prevent freezer burn. This also makes it easier if you only want to thaw a few pieces at a time.
Yes, but it will likely bake faster and be a little drier. Check it for doneness after 25 minutes.
I haven't tried it but one of my readers attested that this recipe does not work as a mini muffin.
Jiffy Mexican Cornbread with Cream Style Corn
Video
Ingredients
- 2 (8.5 ounce) boxes of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix purchase the vegetarian product so that it's lard-free (see Ingredient Notes in the post)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup cream style corn
- ½ cup green chiles (see Ingredient Notes in the post)
- ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese (see Ingredient Notes in the post for alternatives)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F, and butter an 8” x 8” casserole dish.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs until frothy. Slowly whisk in the cooled melted butter until combined. Whisk in the sour cream, followed by the cream style corn, and green chiles. For a soft, moist texture, whisk in each ingredient individually before adding the next. (See the video of making the batter.)
- Stir in both boxes of Jiffy mix only until blended using a wooden spoon. Don't over-mix. Fold in the shredded cheese.
- Pour the cornbread batter into the prepared casserole and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until cornbread is set and golden brown on top.Test the cornbread by inserting a knife or toothpick into the center. It should come out clean.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing into individual slices. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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Nutrition
Disclamer
Nutrition information is provided as an estimate for informational purposes only. Actual values may vary depending on the ingredients and brands used, substitutions, portion sizes, and preparation methods. If you have specific dietary or medical needs, please consult a qualified healthcare professional or registered dietitian.
Jennifer R
Great recipe! I didn’t have yummy hatch chilis so I used pickled jalapeños. I also substituted bacon grease for the butter and added some crumbled up bacon as well. The cornbread was moist and delicious! Definitely a “keeper” recipe according to my husband.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Yay!! I'm so happy you and your husband liked it! My husband would love your adjustments with bacon!!
Mike
Can I double this recipe and put it in a 8x10 pan? If so, how long do you think for the baking time?
Susan Pridmore
You can double the recipe, but I think an 8 X 10 baking dish would be too small. I recommend a 9 X 13 baking dish. The baking time would definitely be longer, but since I haven't done this myself, I'm not sure exactly how long. I would check it at 1 hour to see how done it is, and gauge additional time based on that. Hope this helps!
Bobara Selph
if i leave out the cheese what else do i need to change
Susan Pridmore
Sorry for the delay in responding! For some reason notification of your question went into my spam. If you leave out the cheese, you'll need to reduce the amount of liquid a bit. I haven't made them this way, but I would start by reducing the sour cream and the creamed corn to 3/4 cup each. You may need to go as low as 1/2 cup each.
Jennifer
Does not work well as a mini muffin
Susan Pridmore
That's great to know -thanks for that feedback! I've never made them as a muffin. I'm guessing they might be too moist for that, but I'm only guessing. I'm curious what happened when you made them that way?
Melinda
I followed the recipe and the cornbread came out like custard. I kept adding cook time and it is still a custard and not cornbread
Susan Pridmore
Hi Melinda, thanks for letting me know. When I looked at the recipe, I can see the problem. The recipe should call for 2 boxes of Jiffy corn muffin mix. I'm not sure how the "2" got dropped. I've made this recipe lots of times, so it happened recently. I'm so glad you've written to me about this!! I'm so sorry!