Upside Down Cornbread

5.0 from 1 vote

Turn a standard cornbread mix into an extraordinarily beautiful and delicious bread. This upside down cornbread is the perfect addition to a neighborhood barbecue, a holiday potluck or a cozy weeknight chili.

Cornbread is a southern staple. Slightly sweet and savory, it beautifully complements bold and savory dishes such as gumbo, red beans and rice, and barbeque. We ate it soaked in milk as kids (aka cous-cous)! While cornbread is delicious and nostalgic, we all know that it can be dry and bland when executed poorly. This recipe kicks the box mix up an notch with creamy shredded cheese and caramelized onions and tomatoes. It’s so good I doubt you’ll ever make a plain-jane box mix cornbread again!

Ingredients

• 1 15 oz box cornbread mix – I try to find a mix with non-gmo or organic corn and flour if possible. My favorite is the Whole Foods 365 brand, but this recipe will work with most cornbread mixes!
• 1/3 cup avocado oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup shredded cheddar or pepperjack cheese
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/4-1/3 cup finely chopped onions
• 1/4 cup vegetable or beef broth
• 1 medium tomato, sliced

How to Make Upside Down Tomato Cornbread

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Sauté the onions, butter and broth in a standard sized cast-iron skillet (10 inch) over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally.

As the onions soften, prepare your cornbread mix in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk together the eggs, milk and avocado (or vegetable) oil until combined. Stir in the cornbread mix until no dry spots remain.

Fold in the shredded cheese until evenly combined.

Spread out the onions in the skillet. Most of the liquid should be gone and the onions should be soft. Cut the tomato and toss the slices into the skillet. Allow to simmer for 1 minute and then flip. I usually arrange the tomato slices so they’ll be evenly dispersed on top of the cornbread.

Pour the cornbread mix over the tomatoes and onions in the cast iron skillet and stick the pan into the preheated oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes. The bread is ready when an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Allow the bread to cool enough to handle the pan (usually at least 30 minutes). Flip the pan over onto a plate and the cornbread should fall out.

Slice and enjoy!

Variations on Upside Down Tomato Cornbread

• You can substitute all kinds of caramelized veggies for the tomatoes such as large slices of onions, jalapenos or even chopped brussel sprouts!
• To make this dish dairy free I recommend using a dairy free mix and preparing according to the box instructions. The cheese can easily be left out all together.

5.0 from 1 vote