Cornbread is a classic Southern dish that is a welcome accompaniment to so many dishes. It’s often served alongside a bowl of chili, barbecued or roasted meats or fried chicken.

It’s also a nice side to a salad or soup. But it can stand on its own, as well. It can also be dressed up (such as this recipe) with enough flavor to make it a perfect appetizer. 

I’ve provided the basic cornbread recipe, with the suggested additions. In this case, that includes lemon zest, sweet corn kernels, cheddar cheese, green onions and Poblano chile pepper (or jalapeño). 

The lemon in the recipe gives the cornbread a fresh flavor but is also mixed with the half and half to make buttermilk. If you don’t want to use lemon you can substitute white vinegar, which will not flavor the bread. It’s important not to skip this step as the acid in the lemon juice or vinegar need to react with the baking powder and make sure that the bread is light and fluffy.

Also note that it is important not to over-stir the batter. Stirring will cause the glutens in the batter to react and cause the bread to become more crumbly. The batter should be stirred by hand (not an electric mixer).  A few small lumps are fine – they will work out during the cooking process.

If you love this basic, super moist cornbread recipe, try a few variations. Try using the roasted poblano chile with pepper jack cheese. Bacon is a popular add in, as are chives, roasted red peppers, sun dried tomatoes, parmesan cheese, cracked black pepper, basil. So many options!

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Yield: 1 loaf

Instant Pot Cornbread

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Cornbread with Poblano Chile, Cheddar Cheese, Lemon and Green Onions made in an Instant Pot. A moist cornbread that's full of flavor.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Additional Time 5 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup cornmeal
• 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup half and half
• 1/2 cup butter (melted)
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• Zest 1 Lemon (optional)
• 1/2 cup corn kernels (optional)
• 1/4 cup minced jalapeño or Poblano chile (optional)
• 1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated and divided. (optional)

Instructions

1. In a small glass or ceramic container, add the lemon juice to the half and half and allow it to sit for 5 minutes.
2. Combine the cornmeal, flour, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the melted butter, eggs and sugar.
4. Add the half and half mixture to the butter, egg and sugar mixture.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, 1/3 of the wet mixture at a time.
6. Add the optional ingredients, leaving 1/4 cup of the cheddar cheese aside.
7. Place the batter in a 7 inch greased cake pan.
8. Cover the pan with tightly with foil
9. Put 1 cup of water in the Instant Pot
10. Place the pan on a trivet (with arms or one with a sling made from folding a 14" piece of foil over twice).
11. Set the pot to "Manual" or "High" for 30 minutes. Make sure that the valve is set to "Sealing." When the cooking time is over, allow the pressure to manually release for 15 minutes.
12. Allow the bread to rest for 10 minutes before removing from the pan.
13. Optional - place the bread on a pan, sprinkle with additional cheese and place it under the broiler until the cheese melts (about 3 - 5 minutes). Garnish with Green onions.
14. Best served warm.