We have a lot of leftover cornbread recipes you can make for breakfast, lunch or dessert here. No waste if you slice it like bread and make into French toast, crumble on top of salads or process into fine crumbs to be used as a coating for oven fried fish chicken, or vegetables!
Recipes with cornbread are many. You can really think outside of the box once you crumble it up. Makes great breading on top of salads, chicken or fish as well as toasted will bring a new crispy texture you’ll love. (affiliate links present)
Does Cornmeal Have Gluten?
Cornmeal is naturally gluten-free, as it is made from ground corn, which does not contain any in it’s natural form. However, it’s essential to ensure that the container you purchase is certified gluten free if you have celiac disease or a sensitivity. There can be cross-contamination issues in processing facilities.
You can use any of these ideas whether you have half of a square baking dish full or Cornbread Cookies left over. Crumbled it really doesn’t matter what shape you made initially. A loaf will stay moist longer so if you don’t think you’ll finish it all I would make it thicker initially.
What Can You Make with Leftover Cornbread?
If you crumble it up you can use it a number of different ways. Jiffy Cornbread Salad (seen above) is usually what we make since it needs to be coarse like sand anyway. Think of anything you would use breadcrumbs for and these would work the same way, just with a different texture overall.
During Thanksgiving we typically will make our cornbread pudding from scratch but could be done with a batch from the day before too.
Leftover cornbread can be repurposed into various delicious dishes. You can leave it whole and serve it with a variety of beans. Cooked to tender from dry or jazzing up and heating canned can make Southern Beans and Cornbread with it. Here are some other creative ideas for what to make with leftovers;
Cut the leftover cornbread into small cubes, toss them with olive oil and seasonings, and then bake them in the oven or make air fryer cornbread croutons with them until they’re crispy. Use to top salads or soups.
Easy Recipes with Leftover Cornbread
- Day old cornbread dressing is great inside the cavity of poultry or as a side dish for holiday meals. Crumble the leftovers and mix it with sautéed onions, celery, herbs, and broth. Bake until it’s heated through and slightly crispy on top.
- You might have some that is sweeter from the get go like Banana Cornbread, I would make some kind of dessert with that.
- Cube the leftovers and use it as a base for a breakfast casserole. Layer it with ingredients like eggs, sausage, cheese, and vegetables. Bake until the eggs are set.
- Slice into thick pieces and dip them in a mixture of egg mixture with milk mixture and cinnamon. Cook them on a griddle, skillet or make air fryer french toast until they’re golden brown. Serve with syrup, fresh fruit, or powdered sugar.
- OR turn crumbles into a sweet dessert like raisin bread pudding by mixing it with eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, and spices. Bake until it’s set, and serve it warm with a scoop of ice cream or a drizzle of caramel sauce.
- Cube the cornbread and use it as the base for a panzanella salad. Combine it with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, basil, and a vinaigrette dressing.
- Crumble leftover cornbread to use as a binder for crab cakes for added flavor and texture.
- Flatten into a thin crust and top it with pizza sauce, cheese, and your favorite toppings. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Use slices for a grilled cheese sandwich. Add cheese, butter, and any other desired fillings, and grill until it’s golden and the cheese is melted.
What can you make with crumbled cornbread?
Serve crumbled cornbread on top of vegetables like slow cooker collard greens or spinach for added flavor and texture. Makes a normally bland side dish a notch up to prettier and unique. Or you can bread chicken before air frying or baking for added texture and flavor.
Leftover Cornbread and Chicken Recipes
Like I said, this is a great alternative to just bread crumbs that don’t have a lot of flavor. Since this typically has a bit of sweetness to it you add flavor without any need for added seasonings. You can make Fried Chicken Legs with some oil in a pan or in an air fryer too. Just dredge in oil, then crumbs, and cook.
If you have a small amounts, crumble it on top of your cooked cowboy cornbread casserole recipe instead of pouring batter on and baking once again. It will cut down the baking time, give you most of the same flavors and make an easy meal.
Below is one of our favorite Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix Recipes. How to make this trifle dish with canned or fresh corn kernels, cheese, crumbles, tomatoes and salt and pepper or fresh basil in layers. You could add cooked meat too if you had some to use up in there.
Leftover Cornbread Recipes
Equipment
- 1 trifle dish
Ingredients
- 4 tomatoes, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1 c mayonnaise
- 1 c sour cream
- 1 packet Ranch dressing mix
- 4 c corn
- 1/2 c feta
- 2 cans pinto beans, drained
- 1 lemon
- 2 c cheddar cheese
- 3/4 c bacon, cooked and diced
- 3 c cornbread, pre-baked and crumbled
Instructions
- Mix together your diced tomatoes and bell peppers in a bowl. In another bowl whisk together your mayo, sour cream, and dry ranch dressing mix packet. (I then spoon it into a pint freezer bag and snip the corner off so I can squeeze it out.)
- Cook your bacon and dice it up when it is cooked and cooled (or use packaged real bacon bits). In another bowl use a fork to mash up your leftover cornbread into a sand like texture.
- In a tall trifle dish layer 1/3 of your ingredients at a time. Start with the crushed cornbread, then your tomato mixture, then your two cheeses, followed by drained pinto beans, chopped bacon, drained kernel corn, and you could sprinkle on some fresh chopped basil.
- Squeeze 1/3 of your mayonnaise mixture on top in a swirl. Do 2 more layers this way until all of your ingredients are gone.
- Squeeze half of a fresh lemon over the top, cover with plastic wrap or foil and put into the fridge for 1-2 hours ideally before serving with a large spoon to scoop out.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
