Canned Pumpkin Is The Autumnal Twist To Add To Cornbread

When fall comes calling, it's time to start reintroducing warm and cozy recipes back into our weeknight dinner lineups. Cornbread is the perfect comfort companion for any autumn-ready dish, like a beef chili or a seafood gumbo. While there's absolutely nothing wrong with a classic cornbread (and there are plenty of canned ingredients to take cornbread to the next level), try spicing up your cornbread recipe in time for fall by adding in canned pumpkin.

The pumpkin will add moisture and density to your cornbread, ensuring you're not stuck with a dry, crumbly mouthful of bread. Additionally, due to its natural but subtle sweetness, it can elevate your cornbread into a mildly sweet, warm snack that can offset spicy stews or even be eaten as a post-dinner treat with some butter and maple syrup. And, if for nothing else, use canned pumpkin to add a natural orange tint to your cornbread, creating a fun and spooky-themed side dish that will impress your friends and family.

To pumpkin-ize your cornbread, add about a cup of canned pumpkin to your favorite cornbread recipe. Due to its moisture content, consider reducing the amount of other liquid ingredients (such as milk and butter) by a similar amount.

Since one 15-ounce can of pumpkin has about 1¾ cups, you'll likely have some left over after making your cornbread. If you want to make another tray of cornbread, by all means, live your best life. If you're cornbread-ed out, however, there are tons of options to use up the last of your pumpkin.

If you want to start off your day in an autumnal fashion, make a stack of spiced pumpkin waffles. Pair it with some homemade cinnamon butter and hot coffee, and it'll leave you feeling like you're ready to break out the scarves and beanies.

Then, for dinner, whip up some pasta and use your leftover canned pumpkin as the base of a warm, spiced sauce, like Giada De Laurentiis' creamy pumpkin carbonara. Lastly, for dessert, you can either have another slice of your cornbread (although we doubt you'll have any left) or make a batch of chewy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies that will make your house smell better than any fall-themed candle ever could.

Don't forget — if you don't want to use it now, you can always freeze your canned pumpkin, which will stay good for up to a year.