Bacon Cornbread is a southern-style cornbread sweetened with maple syrup, dotted with chopped bacon throughout, covered with a sticky maple bacon topping, and baked in an iron skillet. An easy cornbread recipe is made even better by the salty sweet combination of maple and bacon.
I teamed up with Smithfield Bacon to share this delicious Bacon Maple Cornbread recipe and fill you in on how can win a lifetime supply of bacon!
How Can You Make a Phenomenal Cornbread Recipe Even Better?
By adding the food that makes everything better – bacon.
Bacon is like the magic fairy dust of cooking. Adding it to recipes gives food that “wow” factor and takes it to the next level.
If only you could get your hands on that much bacon to transform all your recipes…
Would Winning Bacon For Life help?
From September 1 – December 31 look for specially marked packages of Smithfield Bacon in stores or or visit the Bacon for Life Sweepstakes to enter.
When you pick up a specially marked package of Smithfield Bacon at your grocery store there will be a unique code inside the pack. Visit Smithfield.com and follow the prompts to enter.
The grand prize winner will be enjoying Bacon for Life. For real – a whole lot of bacon you’ll never have to buy again.
More than 1,000 runners-up will also be winning their own piece of the action – all sorts of bacon-themed gifts for those bacon lovers out there.
Since you’re going to have a lot of bacon to contend with, here are some essential bacon know-how and tips…
How To Make Oven Bacon
I love making oven bacon because a bunch can be made at one time and it’s virtually mess free!
Since this Bacon Cornbread recipe uses eight slices of bacon, making it in the oven is the easiest and quickest method.
- Line a baking sheet with foil.
- Either lay the bacon slices directly on the foil or on a rack that fits inside the baking sheet. This allows for the bacon to become crispier.
- Bake in a 400º oven for 15-20 minutes, depending on thickness of bacon and desired crispiness.
- Transfer cooked bacon to paper-towel lined plate. Let bacon grease on foil cool and solidify. Then crumple up foil to throw away.
Saving Bacon Grease
Bacon drippings perfectly grease dishes and is a great flavor enhancer for cooking. When making Bacon Cornbread, save a tablespoon of bacon grease to coat the iron skillet.
Save the additional bacon grease by allowing it to cool slightly and pouring into a covered container. Refrigerate container and use solidified drippings as needed for cooking and flavoring recipes.
Make Bacon Ahead Of Time To Reheat
Cook bacon in a large batch (see “How to Make Oven Bacon”) to have on hand for quick breakfasts, sandwiches, crumbling on soups or salads, and adding to pasta dishes.
Wrap cooled bacon in paper towels and place in a re-sealable bag to refrigerate or freeze. To reheat, pull what you need and rewarm in the microwave for 15 – 30 seconds to make crispy and warm.
Refrigerate for 1 week or freeze up to 3 months.
How to Make Bacon Cornbread
- Whisk together dry ingredients.
- Make a well in the middle of dry ingredients and add liquid ingredients to well. Stir to combine.
- Add chopped bacon and stir to combine.
- Grease iron skillet with bacon drippings.
- Pour Bacon Maple Cornbread into iron skillet and add chopped bacon on top.
Tips / Tricks / Variations For Making Bacon Cornbread
- Use an 8X8 baking dish instead of an iron skillet. Grease with cooking spray or bacon grease.
- To make Bacon Maple Cornbread Muffins: Line a muffin tin with liners. Fill each cup 2/3 fill. Top with chopped bacon and bake 400ºF for 15-20 minutes. Drizzle muffins with maple syrup for serving.
- Give Bacon Cornbread a kick by adding fresh minced jalapeño.
- To add more maple flavor add 1 teaspoon of maple extract.
- Substitute equal amount of sugar or brown sugar for maple syrup
- Add 1/2 cup cheddar cheese to the cornbread mixture when stirring in bacon. Top cornbread with additional 1/2 cheddar cheese before baking.
Enjoy Maple Bacon Cornbread With…
SAVE THIS BACON CORNBREAD TO YOUR PINTEREST BOARD!
And let’s be friends on PINTEREST or INSTAGRAM! I’m always sharing great recipes!
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Bacon Cornbread
Ingredients
- 8 slices Smithfield Bacon, cooked and chopped
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, regular or gluten free
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup milk
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
optional: more maple syrup for drizzling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF. Lay bacon either directly on a baking sheet (lined with foil for easy clean up) or fit a metal rack over the foil-lined baking sheet and lay the raw bacon on the rack.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until bacon is to desired crispiness. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon grease for greasing iron skillet. Transfer cooked bacon to paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Push dry ingredients to the sides of the bowl, so you have a well in the middle. Add maple syrup, eggs, milk, and butter. Stir to combine.
- Chop 4 slices of Smithfield Bacon and add to cornbread mixture. Stir to combine. Let batter rest for 5 minutes.
- Use reserved bacon grease to grease iron skillet. Alternatively grease an 8X8 baking dish. Pour cornbread batter into prepared pan.
- Chop remaining 4 slices of bacon and sprinkle on top of batter. Bake for 23-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out without wet batter. Cut into wedges and serve with additional maple syrup for drizzling on top.
❉DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?? DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE FEEDBACK AND/OR CLICK A STAR RATING ON THE RECIPE CARD!❉
Recipe Notes
- Use an 8X8 baking dish instead of an iron skillet. Grease with cooking spray or bacon grease.
- To make Bacon Maple Cornbread Muffins: Line a muffin tin with liners. Fill each cup 2/3 fill. Top with chopped bacon and bake 400ºF for 15-20 minutes. Drizzle muffins with maple syrup for serving.
- Give Bacon Cornbread a kick by adding fresh minced jalapeño.
- To add more maple flavor add 1 teaspoon of maple extract.
- Substitute equal amount of sugar or brown sugar for maple syrup
- Add 1/2 cup cheddar cheese to the cornbread mixture when stirring in bacon. Top cornbread with additional 1/2 cheddar cheese before baking.
Nutrition
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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Smithfield Bacon.
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