Canned Fruit And Cake Mix Make For The Fastest Cobbler

Often filled with an ooey gooey fruit filling, topped with a batter, biscuits, or dumplings, and served warm with vanilla ice cream, cobbler is a true staple when it comes to dessert in the South. It's already simple as-is, but what if we told you it gets even easier? That's right, instead of cooking down your fruit in a pot with sugar, or waiting for your fruit to macerate, swap in the canned stuff that already has infused syrup inside. And, instead of making your own batter from scratch, use a box of cake mix instead. It's that simple, and this version saves you money.

Simply take a baking dish you typically use for a cobbler, place your canned fruit (syrup and all) into the bottom, and sprinkle your cake mix on top to completely cover. We shouldn't see any signs of fruit. This is where you can add a sprinkle of seasonings, which is completely optional, be it cinnamon, ginger, allspice, etc. From there, in order for your cake mix to resemble a cobbler-like texture, you'll need either pats of butter at whatever temperature is convenient, or melted butter, for placing on top. If you're using pats of cold or room temperature butter, place them uniformly on top of your cake mix. If you're working with melted butter, drizzle it onto the cake mix. The most important part: Do not stir. It's ready for the oven just like this.

Ideally, this take on cobbler is best served warm with your ice cream flavor of choice, or dollops of chilled whipped cream. Not only does this easy shortcut to cobbler add the ultimate convenience to your life, especially when you want a last-minute treat, but it's perfect for those on a budget and you can change it to fit your flavor preferences. While canned fruit is the perfect swap to a homemade fruit filling, you can also use frozen fruit or even canned pie filling. Make a blueberry-lemon cobbler by using blueberry pie filling or frozen blueberries and lemon cake mix, or a cinnamon-apple cobbler using apple pie filling, spice cake mix, and a dash of cinnamon if you're getting fancy. Or, take it even further with a chocolate-cherry cobbler using cherry pie filling or frozen cherries and chocolate cake mix. The options are endless, which allows you to get creative.

You can treat this version of cobbler the same as you would for a traditional recipe when it comes to storing, covering and chilling it for no more than three days. You can also cover it tightly with foil and freeze it for as long as four months.

Whether you're cooking for loved ones, be it a Sunday lunch or a weeknight dinner, cobbler is always the best way to end a meal. And with the ease of this take on a classic, it's the most convenient as well.