Associate web editor Rochelle Bilow really loves breakfast. Sure, she’s a morning person by nature, but what she really digs about breakfast is that it’s an opportunity to start the day on the right foot. It’s a chance to eat something healthy, fast, and homemade. Here, she’s sharing her favorite hacks for easy weekday breakfasts.
Even if you don't bake, I bet you can make cornbread. The batter is extra forgiving, thanks to its sticky, wet consistency—that means there's generous room for error. In fact, I've made cornbread so many times, I don't even use a recipe any more. When I'm making a pan for myself, I'm more of a "dump it all in a bowl, stir, and hope for the best" kind of gal. You know the consistency is right when it causes a little resistance against your spoon, and a line drawn in the batter creates a deep rift that's slow to close.
The only real rule of cornbread—according to me, anyway—is that you bake it in a well-seasoned cast-iron pan. The thick sides and bottom of the pan help contribute to a an all-over golden-brown crust. Beyond that, it's basically fool-proof. It requires minimal mixing bowls and tools, cooks up quickly, and, if it comes out dry, is easily fixed with a generous pat of butter.
Chopped fruit (like plums and peaches) is perfect for skillet cornbread.
Although cornbread is often relegated to a side dish at cookouts and barbecues, I think it shines brightest at breakfast. It's equally good savory or sweet, and it's a perfect blank canvas for mix-ins, like ripeConcord grapesin the summer orsautéed apples and onionsin the fall. Sure, there's plenty of butter (or lard, if you're lucky) in the batter, but that needn't stop you from slathering on more warm butter and a sprinkling of sea salt. It's never stopped me.
Want to bulk up your breakfast? Add eggs and cooked veggies or cheese to go the savory route. Feeling sweet? Serve with jam, fruit compote, maple syrup, and honey. I like to make the batter totally unsweetened, so this recipe for basic cornbread is perfect. To sweeten it up, just drizzle a little molasses, maple or honey right over the top as soon as it comes out of the oven. The sweeteners will sink into the bread as it cools, making it even more moist.
The best part about cornbread for breakfast? It keeps for days. A big pan will last you all week long—if you can resist the urge to eat it for lunch and dinner, too.
