Slow-cooker cornbread pudding

As long as you’re organized enough to have done some grocery shopping and meal planning, dinnertime can still include some home-cooked goodness. Proof: This slow-cooker cornbread pudding inspired by Creole Contessa. It’s not only delicious, but fast and easy, too. Bonus: You likely already have most of the ingredients you need. Throw in a couple of boxes of cornbread mix, and this warm, cheesy, buttery mixture will be ready to go.

If you prefer to nix the prepackaged stuff, a homemade cornbread mix involves nothing more than flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, salt and vegetable oil.

The addition of pickled jalapeños adds a mildly spicy bite. If you prefer a bit more heat, you can substitute Serrano peppers, but remember: They’re up to three times as spicy as jalapeños.

ALSO TRY: Thyme mashed potatoes with mascarpone cheese

As is the case with so many of the best side dishes, this slow-cooker cornbread pudding includes gobs of ooey, gooey grated cheese. Cheddar and Monterey jack make a tasty, mild combo, but you can experiment with more flavorful varieties, too, like Swiss, Havarti and Gouda.

This dish is a warm, scrumptious accompaniment to any meal and a fab addition to a brunch or potluck. If you don’t have the time to prepare and cook this dish three or four hours before serving, you can bake it up in the oven while you’re preparing your main dish. It’s virtually guaranteed that your family will go for seconds, and you’ll stash this one in the “Make Again” file.

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Combined jack and cheddar cheese in a bowl

Mix these two cheeses together in one bowl and set aside. The combination of jack and cheddar cheese will give the cornbread pudding a sharp, yet slightly-tart cheesy flavor.

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Add cornbread mix

Pour cornbread mix into a second bowl. You’ll need two boxes if you want to make the pudding in a big casserole dish.

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Pour corn into the dry mix

It’s time for the main ingredient: corn! Pour the corn over the cornbread mix and whisk together. You can use fresh, frozen or canned corn.

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Pour in creamed corn

Creamed corn is  made by pulping corn kernels and collecting the milky residue. It’s the ingredient responsible for making the pudding thick and creamy.

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Mix together the ingredients

There are still more ingredients to add but before you move forward, take a second to start folding everything together.

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Add sour cream

Lighter versions of sour cream, made with half-and-half and non-fat milk are also okay to use for the recipe.

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Add pickled jalapeños and pour in whisked eggs

Fermented jalapeños are made with a salt brine (salt water); pickled jalapeños are made with vinegar. The vinegar masks the typically spicy flavor of the jalapeño. If you want the heat, opt for Serrano peppers, instead.

Tip: When whisking your eggs, a beating technique is faster than whisking side-to-side.

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Pour in melted butter

You can also opt to use vegetable or corn oil, instead of butter. All three will make the cornbread pudding deliciously moist.

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Add milk

We typically default to using whole milk in recipes but you can choose to use 2% or 1%. You may want to avoid skim milk as it contains no fat. We also avoid half and half because it contains too much fat – approximately 28g for just one cup.

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Add sugar

Last step, add the sugar! If you prefer your cornbread pudding more savory than sweet, you can skip this step.

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Transfer the ingredients to a crock pot and mix in cheese

Now it’s cooking time. After greasing your crockpot with butter (or a non-stick spray of your choice), pour the pudding mix in and layer it with the jack and cheddar cheese that you set aside earlier. Before you put the lid on the crockpot, mix the cheese in with the mixture.

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Add more cheese

There’s no such thing as too much cheese. After an hour or hour-and-a-half, add an extra layer to the top of the pudding and let it cook for 20 more minutes.

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Sprinkle on some garnish

We’re not just into flavor – we’re into presentation, too. Once you’ve plated your serving of this buttery and cheesy cornbread pudding, sprinkle it with some parsley and add a couple fresh jalapeños slices.

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Bon appetit

And enjoy! The prep work only takes about 5 minutes and when it’s done, you’ll have a wonderful side dish or cheesy dinner meal that the whole family will love.

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