Important question... do you like your cornbread sweet or unsweet? Honestly, I really enjoy both. Growing up, my mom always ordered beef stew and corn muffins from Cracker Barrel because they weren't sweet, but when I finally tried sweet cornbread I loooved it. The good news is, with these Garden Goat Cornbread Muffins it doesn't matter! You can use whatever cornbread mix you want - sweet or not.
Cornbread Muffins with a Nutrition Boost
Classic cornbread is amazingly delicious and can totally fit into a balanced diet, but sneaking some nutritious veggies into the mix is a great way to give your cornbread muffins a nutrition boost! Sneaking vegetables into traditionally veggie-less dishes is one of my top 5 Simple Ways to Increase Your Vegetable Intake.
Simple sautéed red bell peppers and onions (the "Garden" in this recipe) add flavor, color, and nutrition to these Garden Goat Cornbread Muffins. Goat cheese (the "Goat" in this recipe) is a bonus that adds flavor and provides some protein, calcium, and vitamin B12.
For more recipes with hidden veggies, check out: Sweet Potato Enchiladas, Cheesy Pumpkin Kale Pasta Bake, Autumn Chicken Taco Soup, Cheesy Bacon Tomato Egg Cups, 1-Bowl Coconut Zucchini Brownie Muffins, White Chicken Chili with Salsa Verde
Why You Should Add Bell Peppers to Your Diet
Bell peppers, specifically red, yellow, and orange bell peppers, are one of my favorite vegetable-like fruits (yes, bell peppers are actually fruits), and you should add them to your diet!
Potassium, vitamins A and C, fiber, folate, and iron are some of the main beneficial nutrients found in bell peppers. Additionally, red bell peppers contain the antioxidant lycopene and orange and yellow peppers contain carotenoids.
Not sure how to incorporate bell peppers into meals and snacks? No worries! Adding bell pepper to these delicious Garden Goat Cornbread Muffins is one option, but there are so many delicious ways to prepare and enjoy bell peppers.
6 Simple Ways to Incorporate Bell Peppers into Your Diet
Enjoy them raw on salads, as dippers, or in cold dips like this Fresh Mango Salsa.
Sauté bell peppers onions with southwestern spices for tacos, burritos, or taco salad.
Roast bell peppers with a drizzle of olive oil, garlic powder, and salt and pepper for pasta dishes like my Lightened-Up Pasta Alfredo or them add to homemade hummus or pasta sauce.
Stuff bell peppers with seasoned ground turkey, black beans, and rice.
Add them to grilled or baked kabobs like these Satay Chicken and Veggie Skewers.
Incorporate leftover bell peppers into omelets, wraps, egg cups, pizza, and these Garden Goat Cornbread Muffins.
There are so many ways to incorporate these nutritional powerhouse into your meals and snacks, but for now let's focus on adding them to these tasty cornbread muffins!
For a full meal, pair these delicious cornbread muffins with my Autumn Chicken Taco Soup or White Chicken Chili with Salsa Verde.
What’s in This Recipe?
Olive oil – rich in unsaturated fatty acids, linked with lower LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels and higher HDL cholesterol levels
Onion – contains quercetin and organosulfur compounds
Bell pepper – rich in potassium, vitamins A and C, fiber, folate, iron, and antioxidants
Goat cheese – contains protein, calcium, and vitamin B12
Egg – contains protein, choline, antioxidants, and fat soluble vitamins
Milk – contains protein, calcium, and vitamin D for strong bones and muscle recovery
Canola oil – rich in unsaturated fatty acids, linked with lower LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels and higher HDL cholesterol levels
Cornbread mix – contains cornmeal, a whole grain that contains fiber and a variety of B vitamins and minerals
Cayenne pepper – adds a touch of spice
Notes: I have made this recipe using cornbread mixes by Kodiak Cakes and Trader Joe's and both have worked well. Although this recipe makes 6 cornbread muffins, you can easily double it to make a full dozen.
Garden Goat Cornbread Muffins
Prep time: 10 minutes
Bake time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6 muffins
Filling ingredients:
Drizzle of olive oil
2 tbsp. red or white onion, chopped
1/3 cup bell peppers, chopped
1/3 cup crumble goat cheese
1 large egg
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups cornbread mix (I like to use 1/2 box or 240 g Kodiak Cakes cornbread mix)
Dash of cayenne pepper
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400oF. Spray 6 muffin cups with non stick spray.
Meanwhile, preheat a skillet drizzle with olive oil to medium high heat. Add the onions and bell peppers. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until the onions are fragrant and the veggies are slightly softened. Turn off the heat and set veggies aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk until smooth and bubbly, then mix in the oil.
Next, add in the cornbread mix and cayenne pepper to taste. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix until just combined (do not over mix).
Add the cooled sautéed veggies and goat cheese crumbles. Mix until just combined.
Divide the batter evenly among the 6 greased muffin cups, then bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and bounce back when pressed.
Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin tin before removing to cool completely on a cooling rack.
Store any extras in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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