Garlic Is The Easy Cornbread Addition For Next-Level Flavor

Some savory cornbread truthers may shun the use of additions like fresh berries or jam in cornbread, but it doesn't mean the baked good can't be spruced up with a few aromatics. With some cloves of garlic, you can enhance the flavor of your buttery cornbread.

Garlic is the cornerstone of plenty of dishes — although it's not an original staple of the Southern classic, one taste of garlicky cornbread will change your mind. Garlic is perfectly pungent with a buttery taste to match cornbread's richness. Providing the cornbread with nuttiness and a hint of sweetness, it elevates it from a standard mild dish into something more. Garlic does have the ability to be a little overpowering, however, but this can be controlled with how much you add.

For a slight taste, use one or two cloves of garlic in your cornbread. You can mince or crush the cloves and fold it into the batter, but remember that crushed garlic releases more flavor than simply chopping it. Using garlic butter is another great way to control the pungency while giving it a more uniform taste. Some simple 3-ingredient garlic butter requires two cloves of garlic, but you can use more if you'd prefer. If you'd like a richer taste, roasting the garlic before folding it into the cornbread will make the dish nuttier and sweeter.

Garlic is an incredible ingredient mix-in that will elevate your cornbread, and it only gets better when combined with other additions. If you love the taste of roasted garlic but don't have the time to make it, use brown butter along with minced or crushed garlic. Browning the butter provides the same nutty, caramelized flavor that roasted garlic does, but with a fraction of the time. You can add the garlic into the butter or simply combine them together in the cornbread batter.

Adding cheese to cornbread can also enhance the richness that garlic brings. After mixing the wet ingredients with the cornmeal in a bowl, sprinkle in your favorite cheese along with the garlic. Choose your cheese based on what nuances you want to bring out of the garlic; cheddar will highlight its pungent taste while mozzarella will coax out garlic's buttery side.

If you're after a lighter taste, however, use some fresh herbs. Thyme, rosemary, basil, or parsley will cut through the richness and make the garlic taste a lot earthier. Fold these herbs into the batter or add roasted garlic into honey sage skillet cornbread.