Savory Scallion Cornbread Using Grits

No cornmeal? No problem! For a savory, scallion-studded snack, this cornbread using grits is perfect. As a breakfast, side or treat, it’s a delicious way to enjoy the beauty that is corn. The muffins are light, savory, rich, buttery, with a cheesy flavor, a bit of chew, with the fresh, oniony goodness from the scallions. Perfect if you like a little more texture and interest in your cornbread, or for those moments when you just need a little cornbread and are out of cornmeal.

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What’s the Difference between Grits and Cornmeal?

If you’ve ever been confused here, you’re not the only one. The differences between cornmeal and grits are not totally obvious- not to mention polenta, and corn flour. But let’s start at the beginning. Both grits and cornmeal are made from dried, ground corn. Cornmeal is fairly finely ground, although not as fine as wheat flour. It is often used for cornbread, the bottom of breads or pizzas, and is delicious as a coating on fried foods. Grits on the other hand, are less finely ground and can be found in stoneground and instant varieties (and both will work in this recipe). Stoneground grits contain the whole grain, and all the nutrients that the corn contains, whereas instant grits do not. As you might have guessed, stoneground grits also have a longer cooking time than instant grits. The word grits refers to the dried corn, but also the porridge that is made with it. Grits, or cornmeal mush, were originally a Native American dish that has been adapted into Southern cooking. We’re using our grits in this recipe in place of cornmeal. It gives the cornmeal muffins a little more chew and texture that really works well in a savory application, and is also just a great option when you don’t have cornmeal on hand.

And if you were wondering, polenta is very similar to grits. The main difference is it is made with a specific type of corn called flint corn. Flint corn has a hard bit of starch in the center, so that it keeps it’s grain structure when cooked and won’t be completely soft and smooth like grits can be.

Corn flour, on the other hand, is the same as cornstarch and is very distinct from the other corn products here. If you try to make a porridge from cornstarch, you will create a less than appetizing oozing slime. Cornstarch is made from just the endosperm, and is often used as a virtually flavorless thickener.

If you are looking to get your hands on some grits, I get mine (as well as all my flour to make bread) here.

Looking for Vegan Corn Recipes? Try one of these!

• Light and Brothy Vegan Corn Soup
• Baked Chile Relleno Cornbread Casserole
• Cheesy, Spicy, Vegan Nacho Popcorn
• Tomato Masala Stuffed Spaghetti Squash with Corn and Spinach
• Vegan Cornbread with Roasted Tomatoes
• Kabocha Squash and Cheese Vegan Pupusas
• Vegan Chia and Pinole Pudding Recipe

How to Eat these Scallion Muffins

I ate most of these muffins just as they were, in all their buttery, corn and scallion glory. After a day or so, I warmed them for just a couple seconds in the microwave. They’re perfect for a mid-day snack, and made a great and super easy breakfast. But there are so many other ways to enjoy them. For a simple addition, add some vegan butter or cut in half and sandwich a little vegan cheese. It’s perfect with savory spreads, like our tomato jam or onion and ale spread. They make an amazing side for any BBQ or picnic. They’re also fantastic dipped in soups- there’s the classic pairing of chili, but we enjoyed a lot of them in our cheesy broccoli soup, recipe coming soon. For a healthier take, try these savory delights as a pairing to some sautéed greens. I’m sure I’ve just scratched the surface of the savory scallion cornbread possibilities, so please let me know your favorite way to serve them!

How to Make Cornbread Using Grits

This recipe for cornbread using grits is great, because it’s super basic. All you do is mix the dry ingredients, mix the wet ingredients, combine, add scallions, and bake. Honestly, on lazy days I just mix it all up in one bowl- you get a few lumps that way, but sometimes it’s worth not cleaning the extra dish. Make sure you get your oven hot before you get mix the wet and dry ingredients together though- once the baking powder and the wet ingredients meet, it becomes activated and starts creating bubbles. You want as much of the baking soda’s rise as possible to happen once your muffins are already in the oven, so you get the lightest muffins possible. That also means don’t spend a lot of time fussing with the batter, trying to get out every single lump and overmixing. Just get the batter together, stick it in your muffin tins, and bang it in the oven. Easy. Once your muffins are baked, they need to cool a little bit before you remove them from the tin, and then you can let them cool on a cooling rack. Don’t be concerned if they seem a little wet or sticky on the bottom when you first take them out- that will evaporate as they cool.

After cooled, store them in an airtight container on the counter and ideally eat in the next couple days. If you need longer, you might want to try freezing them for longer storage.

Savory Scallion Cornbread Using Grits

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