Sweet And Savory Upside Down Cornbread Recipe
The cornbread itself is infused with fresh thyme, shredded sharp cheddar, a kick of freshly ground black pepper, and sweetened with honey. The apples and onions are cooked in a cast iron skillet on the stovetop, then the batter is poured over and baked in the same pan.
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large peeled and cored apple, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1 ¼ cups yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ¼ cup shredded sharp cheddar
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ⅓ cup honey
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Heat a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons butter.
- Once the butter has melted, add the apple and onion slices. Cook and stir until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and press the apple and onion mixture into an even layer in the pan.
- In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Stir in the cheese and thyme leaves until thoroughly mixed.
- In a separate bowl or container whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, honey, and remaining ½ cup melted butter.
- Add the liquids to the flour mixture and stir until no dry spots remain.
- Pour the batter over the apples and onions in the pan.
- Bake the cornbread for about 20 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cornbread cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a serving platter or cutting board so that the apples and onions are on top.
- Cut the cornbread into slices and serve with additional butter or honey, if desired.
Gather the sweet and savory upside down cornbread recipe ingredients
To make the sweet and savory topping for this cornbread recipe, start with a medium-sized red onion and a large crisp apple. Kinnaird prefers using an apple variety that has a balance of tartness and sweet flavor, such as a Fuji or Honeycrisp. The sliced onion and apple are sauteed in butter until golden, bringing out their flavors. The cornbread batter is made from yellow cornmeal, all-purpose flour, baking powder, sea salt, and a bit of black pepper to keep the savory theme going.
Shredded sharp cheddar and fresh thyme leaves are added to the dry ingredients — this coats the cheese and herbs with a bit of the dry mix, which prevents clumps from forming in the batter. Buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, and honey finish out the batter, which is poured atop the caramelized fruit and veggie mix in the skillet. After baking, the cornbread is turned out and served upside down with some extra honey and butter on the side, if desired.
Step 2: Melt butter in a cast iron skillet
Step 3: Add the apple and onion slices
Step 4: Press the apples and onions into an even layer
Step 5: Add the cornbread dry ingredients to a bowl
Step 7: Whisk together the liquid ingredients
Step 8: Combine the liquid and dry ingredients
Step 9: Pour the batter over the apples and onions
Step 11: Invert the cornbread onto a rack
Let the cornbread cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a rack, serving platter or cutting board so that the apples and onions are on top.
