Best Bacon Cornbread Recipes

MAPLE-ROASTED TURKEY WITH SAGE, SMOKED BACON, AND CORNBREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and remove the top rack.
• Combine the butter and sage in a mixing bowl, mash with a fork or spoon until the sage is well incorporated and the butter has flecks of green in it; season with salt and pepper.
• In a saute pan, melt 4 tablespoons of the sage butter, add the onions, cook and stir for 15 minutes until soft and golden. Remove from heat. Put the cornbread in a large mixing bowl and scrape the sauteed onion mixture on top. Add the egg, heavy cream, and just enough chicken stock to moisten the stuffing without making it soggy (about 1/2 cup.) Toss well to combine, season with salt and pepper.
• Remove the neck and gizzards from the inside of the turkey and discard. Rinse the bird thoroughly inside and out with cold water, pat dry. Sprinkle the cavity and skin liberally with salt and pepper. Using your fingers, gently lift the skin from the breast and legs, and slip pieces of the sage butter underneath; massaging it in as you go. Fill the bird with the cornbread stuffing without packing too tightly; cook the remaining stuffing separately in a buttered baking dish. Truss the turkey; place it on a rack in a large roasting pan, and put into the oven.
• Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together the maple syrup and hot water to thin the glaze out a bit; use this to baste the turkey every 30 minutes. The turkey should take about 3 hours to cook (i.e. 15 to 20 minutes per pound.) If the legs or breast brown too quickly, cover with foil. About 2 hours into cooking, shingle the strips of bacon oven the turkey breast to cover; continue to roast and baste for another hour or so. The turkey is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meatiest part of the thigh registers 170 degrees F (the thigh juices will also run clear when pricked with a knife.) Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and let rest for 20 minutes before carving, so the juices can settle back into the meat.
• Skim off the excess fat from the pan drippings with a spoon and place the roasting pan over 2 burners set on medium-high heat. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up brown bits stuck to bottom of pan. Whisk the flour into the drippings, stirring as it thickens to prevent lumps. Add the remaining chicken stock and bring to a simmer; season with salt and pepper and hit it with a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten the flavor. Simmer for 5 minutes and then strain to remove any particles. Serve the gravy with the maple-roasted turkey and cornbread stuffing.

BACON MAC 'N CHEESE CORNBREAD SKILLET

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a 12-in. cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Discard drippings, reserving 1 tablespoons in pan. , Drain macaroni; add macaroni to drippings. Stir in shredded cheeses and cream cheese; cook and stir over medium heat until cheese is melted, 2-3 minutes. Whisk 2 eggs, 1 cup milk, green onions, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; pour into skillet. Cook and stir until slightly thickened, 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat., Reserve 1/4 cup bacon for topping; sprinkle remaining bacon over macaroni. Place cornbread mix, paprika, remaining 4 eggs, 2 cups milk, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a blender; cover and process until smooth. Pour over bacon., Bake until puffed and golden brown, 30-35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with reserved 1/4 cup bacon and additional green onions.

BACON CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450°F. Grease 9-inch round pan or 8-inch square pan.
• Stir together all ingredients; beat vigorously 30 seconds. Pour into pan.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

SAUSAGE, BACON, APPLE AND CORNBREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Place the cubed cornbread and bread stuffing mix into a large bowl. Set aside.
• Place the chopped sausage links and ground sausage in a skillet; cook and stir over medium-high heat until evenly browned. Drain, and place sausage into a bowl. Using the same skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until evenly browned. Drain bacon on paper towels. Drain excess bacon fat from the skillet. Stir the cooked sausage and bacon into the cornbread mixture.
• Using the same skillet, cook the celery and onion over medium heat until transparent and tender, about 5 minutes. Stir into the cornbread mixture.
• Stir the mushrooms, parsley, and apples into the cornbread mixture. Season with salt, pepper, and sage. Pour enough chicken broth over the cornbread mixture to moisten thoroughly, and toss to distribute evenly. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
• Bake in preheated oven until top is toasted and the center is firm, about 45 minutes.

BACON CORNBREAD WITH CHEDDAR AND SCALLIONS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a wire cooling rack on top of the baking sheet and arrange the bacon on the rack. Bake until the bacon is crisp, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Set 5 bacon strips aside, then chop remaining bacon into small pieces.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium. Add the chopped scallions, sprinkle with a small pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the scallions are browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Grease a round 8-inch springform pan or cake pan with butter. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Add the milk, egg, honey and 1/4 cup olive oil and whisk until smooth. Stir in the chopped bacon, scallions and cheddar cheese. Pour the batter into the prepared pan; use a spoon to spread the batter into an even layer.
• Arrange the remaining bacon strips on top of the batter, trimming them as necessary, then bake until the cornbread is browned and firm in the center, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then run a kitchen knife around the edges of the pan to loosen. Cut into pieces and serve warm.

JALAPENO-BACON SKILLET CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Whisk the cornmeal, all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl; set aside.
• Put the bacon in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet; set over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is browned and crisp, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the fat in the skillet.
• Add the diced onion to the hot skillet and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute. Transfer the onion and garlic to a separate plate and set aside. Keep the skillet over low heat.
• Whisk the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, honey and jalapenos in another large bowl; add the onion and garlic and whisk to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until combined (do not overmix).
• Brush the bottom and side of the skillet with the fat left in it (add a pat or two of butter if there's not enough). Carefully add the batter (it should sizzle) and sprinkle the bacon evenly on top. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the top is deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before serving.

JALAPENO, BACON AND CHEDDAR CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
• Arrange the bacon strips flat in a single layer in the bottom of a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until rendered and crispy, about 8 minutes. Transfer the bacon to one end of a paper-towel-lined plate to drain (save room for the jalapeno!). Add the jalapeno to the bacon drippings and cook until softened and slightly browned, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the jalapeno to the plate next to the bacon. Roughly chop the bacon and return to the plate.
• Carefully remove 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings from the pan, leaving the rest. Keep the pan at the ready for baking the cornbread.
• Whisk together the buttermilk, oil and eggs in a medium bowl. Add the buttermilk mixture to the cornmeal mixture and use a rubber spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the wet until completely incorporated. Mix in the Cheddar, bacon and jalapeno.
• Using a pastry brush, spread the bacon drippings up the sides and around the bottom of the pan. Heat the pan over medium-low heat until the fat just starts to sizzle. Pour in the cornbread batter, allowing the heat to quickly set the bottom crust.
• Put the pan into the oven and bake until golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted into the middle of the cornbread comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and baste the top crust with the butter. Cool for 20 minutes before serving.

CORNBREAD-STUFFED BACON-WRAPPED PORK TENDERLOIN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Cut 3 slices bacon into 1/4-inch wide slices. Cook in medium saucepan over medium-high heat until crisp; drain.
• Carefully pour all but 1 tablespoon grease from pan. Add butter and apple cider; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; stir in cooked bacon, cornbread stuffing mix, apple, cranberries and pecans. If needed, add addition cider to moisten stuffing.
• Place 4 remaining slices of bacon about 2 inches apart down center of 15x10x1-inch baking sheet. Cut down center of tenderloin but not all the way through; lay flat on top of bacon slices.
• Spoon stuffing down center of tenderloin; wrap bacon slices around tenderloin, overlapping on top. Secure with wooden picks.
• Bake 40 to 45 minutes until internal temperature of stuffing reaches 160 degrees F. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

CORNBREAD SALAD WITH BUTTERMILK-CHIVE DRESSING AND MAPLE BACON

Steps:

• For the buttermilk-chive dressing: Combine the buttermilk, sour cream, mayonnaise and lemon juice in a small bowl and whisk well. Stir in the chives and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• For the maple-glazed bacon: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Set a wire rack in a baking sheet and spray the rack with cooking spray.
• Lay the bacon slices in 1 layer on the wire rack and brush with the maple syrup. Sprinkle over the brown sugar and cayenne. Bake until dark brown and crispy, 20 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly, then crumble.
• For the salad: Layer the ingredients in a large salad bowl beginning with the lettuce, then adding the tomatoes, bell pepper and onion.
• When ready to serve, add in the crumbled Sour Cream Cornbread, pour the dressing over the salad and sprinkle the bacon on top.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a well-seasoned 10-inch cast-iron skillet with cooking spray.
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine the creamed corn, cornmeal mix, sour cream, oil and eggs. Pour the mixture into the skillet and bake until lightly brown, about 30 minutes.

SKILLET CORNBREAD WITH BACON FAT AND BROWN SUGAR

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F.
• Whisk the cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk the eggs, buttermilk, and brown sugar in another bowl until smooth.
• Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
• Heat the bacon fat in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet until liquid. Swirl it around to coat the bottom and sides of the skillet, then pour the rest into the batter.
• Whisk the batter until smooth, then pour into the hot skillet. Immediately transfer to the oven.
• Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Serve warm.

GRANDMA'S BACON FAT CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Whisk the cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda together in a large bowl. Whisk the buttermilk and eggs together in a medium bowl. Fold the wet ingredients into the cornmeal mixture until just combined; set aside.
• Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat. When the skillet is smoking-hot, turn off the heat and add the fat, carefully stirring it around the pan as it melts. Pour the melted fat into the cornmeal batter and stir to combine. (Do not wipe out the skillet.) Pour the cornmeal mixture into the hot skillet (batter will sizzle) and bake until the edges are golden brown and the center bounces back when pressed with a finger, 18 to 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

CORNBREAD, BACON, LEEK, AND PECAN STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread pecans on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in oven for 7 minutes. Let cool slightly; coarsely chop. Mix together pecans and cornbread in a large bowl.
• Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Cook bacon in a large high-sided skillet over medium-high heat until almost crisp, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; add celery and leeks. Cook until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in thyme and 1 1/4 teaspoons salt; season with pepper. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Return skillet to medium-high heat, and add stock; bring to a simmer, scraping up brown bits and stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Add to bowl with bacon-vegetable mixture. Stir in eggs. Gently mix in corn bread mixture. (Do not overmix.) Transfer to baking dish. Dot top with butter. Bake until golden brown, about 35 minutes.

SOUTHERN BACON FAT CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Combine cornmeal, baking soda, and salt; stir in eggs and buttermilk.
• Heat bacon dripping in an iron skillet until very hot; add drippings to batter, mixing well.
• Pour batter into hot skillet, and bake at 450 F for about 25 minutes, or until bread is golden brown.

CORNBREAD-BACON STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and butter a 3-quart baking dish. Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, about 7 minutes. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Add the celery, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the celery is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat and set aside.
• Whisk the eggs, parsley and scallions in a large bowl. Add the cornbread and potato bread cubes, the pecans and the vegetable mixture; stir to combine. Transfer the stuffing to the prepared baking dish. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons butter into cubes and dot over the stuffing. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes, then uncover and bake until golden brown, about 20 more minutes.

BACON-JALAPENO-CHEDDAR CORNBREAD

Steps:

• For the cornbread: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Liberally grease 12 muffin cups or mini cast-iron skillets with cooking spray or oil.
• Put the bacon in a skillet over medium heat and cook until browned and crisp, about 7 minutes. Set the bacon aside to cool on a paper towel-lined plate, then chop finely. Reserve the grease in the skillet for the glaze.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. In a separate bowl, mix together the buttermilk, oil, whole egg and egg yolk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in the cheese, jalapeno and reserved bacon until just incorporated.
• Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake until the edges are crispy and the tops are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
• For the glaze: While the cornbread bakes, prepare the glaze. In the skillet that you cooked the bacon in, add the bourbon to the saved fat and bring to a boil (the bourbon may flame!). Add the honey and stir. Strain the glaze through a fine-mesh sieve and set aside.
• When the cornbread is out of oven and still hot, brush the glaze on the tops of each muffin.

BACON CORNBREAD SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 9x9-inch pan.
• Mix corn bread mix, eggs, and milk together in a bowl until combined with a few lumps; pour into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool and crumble into a large bowl.
• Layer 3/4 cup crumbled bacon, tomatoes, green onions, 1/2 cup pickles, 3/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup pickle juice over crumbled corn bread; gently stir to combine.
• Whisk 1 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup pickle juice, and lemon juice together in a separate bowl until sugar dissolves.
• Transfer cornbread mixture to a serving dish; top with mayonnaise dressing. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup crumbled bacon and chives. Chill until ready to serve.

BACON-PEANUT BUTTER CORNBREAD MUFFINS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Grease six 6-oz. ramekins or jumbo muffin cups with 2 tablespoons butter. For topping, in a small bowl combine 2 tablespoons butter, peanuts, 3 tablespoons bacon and brown sugar; set aside., In a large bowl, beat muffin mix, buttermilk and eggs. Microwave peanut butter and remaining 2 tablespoons butter until melted; stir into batter. Fold in peanut butter chips and remaining 2/3 cup bacon. Pour into prepared ramekins; sprinkle with topping., Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before removing from ramekins to a wire rack. Serve warm. If desired, drizzle with caramel ice cream topping.

BACON-SCALLION CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Cook bacon until crisp. Drain, let cool, then finely dice.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. In a large bowl, stir together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In a medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, buttermilk, and eggs. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture and stir just until combined (do not overmix). Stir bacon and scallions into batter. Transfer batter to pan and smooth top.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack, 15 minutes, before serving.

SMOKED BACON & ONION SWEET CORNBREAD

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, salt and sugar. Sift together until thoroughly mixed.
• In a 12 inch cast iron skillet, fry up your 4 strips of thick cut bacon. Chop them up into small pieces and put them into separate mixing bowl.
• Chop the green onions and add them to the mixing bowl with the bacon. Now add in the milk, eggs and 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease.
• Now pour the wet ingredients into the larger mixing bowl with the dry ingredients and thoroughly mix these together. Set the batter aside.
• Get your smoker going. You'll want to get this hotter than you usually do. We'll need it up to about 375. Put your cast iron skillet in right away, so it's good and hot when you pour the batter inches I used apple wood for this cornbread, but you can use what ever wood you prefer.
• Note: Remove the water pan to allow more heat. I also had to open the side door on my Webber Smoky Mountain vertical smoker a couple of times to get it hot enough. It would start dropping back down towards 350, then I would open the door again for about 1 minute to get it moving back up.
• Once it's up to temperature, pour the batter into the skillet, close it up, and maintain this temperature as best as possible. (If you have an electric smoker, this shouldn't be any problem!).
• This should take about a half hour to cook. Stick a toothpick into the center of the cornbread. If it comes out clean, it's done. Another indicator of it being done is that the sides should start pulling away from the pan.
• Take it off and serve it up in the skillet. It will stay nice and warm sitting in the skillet!

MAPLE-ROASTED TURKEY W/ SAGE, SMOKED BACON, AND CORNBREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• Remove the neck and gizzards from the inside of the turkey and discard. Rinse the bird thoroughly inside and out with cold water, pat dry. Sprinkle the cavity and skin liberally with salt and pepper. Using your fingers, gently lift the skin from the breast and legs, and slip pieces of the sage butter underneath; massaging it in as you go. Fill the bird with the cornbread stuffing without packing too tightly; cook the remaining stuffing separately in a buttered baking dish. Truss the turkey; place it on a rack in a large roasting pan, and put into the oven. Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together the maple syrup and hot water to thin the glaze out a bit; use this to baste the turkey every 30 minutes. The turkey should take about 3 hours to cook (i.e. 15 to 20 minutes per pound.) If the legs or breast brown too quickly, cover with foil. About 2 hours into cooking, shingle the strips of bacon oven the turkey breast to cover; continue to roast and baste for another hour or so. The turkey is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meatiest part of the thigh registers 170 degrees F (the thigh juices will also run clear when pricked with a knife.) Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and let rest for 20 minutes before carving, so the juices can settle back into the meat. Skim off the excess fat from the pan drippings with a spoon and place the roasting pan over 2 burners set on medium-high heat. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up brown bits stuck to bottom of pan. Whisk the flour into the drippings, stirring as it thickens to prevent lumps. Add the remaining chicken stock and bring to a simmer; season with salt and pepper and hit it with a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten the flavor. Simmer for 5 minutes and then strain to remove any particles. Serve the gravy with the maple-roasted turkey and cornbread stuffing.