I love Jiffy brand cornbread mix. I like to keep a few boxes on hand at all times. It’s great with soups, chili, stew – most hearty American meal-in-a-bowl foods can benefit from a side of cornbread. It’s probably too sweet for some tastes, but I like a sweeter cornbread. (Hey, I never said I was a real southerner. I only lived there 9 years.)

Now, I don’t begrudge the Jiffy company at all. In fact, I support them whenever possible because they are a good company that treat their employees right and sell an honest product. But sometimes I forget to pick some up, or I run out, or they’re out at the store.  So I went poking around for a copycat recipe.  Turns out it’s not really that hard.

It’s not going to taste exactly like the Jiffy mix as written, because they use lard in the mix, and the below uses oil. Don’t freak out (unless you’re a vegetarian?), because lard probably isn’t as evil as you think it is.

Corn Muffin Mix
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix this up and store in a  sandwich-size bag. Makes about 1 1/3 c. (8.5 oz) mix.

To make, add: 
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk

(If you have a recipe calling for a box of Jiffy Cornbread mix, add the “mix” above and the oil.)

To bake, beat the egg with the milk and oil, then fold into the mix until moistened. (If it seems too thick, add a little more milk.) Bake in a 400°F oven in a paper-lined (or use non-stick cooking spray) muffin tin. Makes 6 muffins.

I like adding 1/2 c. cheddar cheese and a can of green chiles before baking.

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