Old Fashioned Fried Cornmeal Mush. A simple & cheap comfort food with endless variations. Great breakfast option for those with food allergies – no gluten, dairy or eggs! Make ahead recipe, slice & fry when ready to eat!
Fried Cornmeal Mush – An Old Fashioned Frugal Comfort Food
Fried Mush. I’m guessing most folks have heard of it before – I know it’s not just a Northeast thing. I’ve had it down South before – but the rest of the country – y’all are gonna have to let me know!
Fried Cornmeal Mush was definitely poor people food once upon a time. It was a way to fill your belly while food was scarce or money was low. When times were extra rough it was served by itself as a meal. It was regularly served as an accompaniment to dinners or alongside eggs & breakfast foods to stretch a meal.
I love Cornmeal Mush for breakfast. It’s one of those simple comfort foods I crave on occasion. I like it fried in butter and topped with real maple syrup. Throw some breakfast sausage on the side and breakfast is complete.
Looking for some more hearty breakfast recipes? Check out these Grit Cakes & Sausage Egg and Cheese Breakfast Bake !
No gluten, no dairy, no eggs. Food allergy friendly for all ♥
As I was making this simple dish I got to thinking. Mush is a great breakfast for those with food allergies. No gluten, no dairy, no eggs. It can be vegan if you pan fry it with oil. Food allergy friendly for all ♥
It’s certainly not a pancake – but it makes a nice breakfast treat with maple syrup.
Ingredients & Instructions
Simmer, Chill, Slice & Fry. That’s about it.
You need just 4 ingredients here – water, cornmeal, salt & butter, oil or fat to panfry.
Simmering cornmeal in a pot sounds simple enough – but – keep it low. This mixture burns and sticks easily. Also make sure to add it to just simmering water – cornmeal thickens and explodes quickly. If you’ve never made it before, I suggest using a non-stick pot for the first time.
Fry slices of mush up with butter or bacon fat. I cook it over low heat until golden brown on both sides. Some people prefer it a deep golden brown – fry it to your level of happiness.
There’s plenty of room for creativity here. I included the basic, old-fashion recipe – but you could definitely add numerous ingredients to make this a sweet or savory dish.
Enjoy!
Amanda ♥
Fried Cornmeal Mush
Ingredients
- 3 cups boiling water just simmering
- 1 cup corn meal
- 1 cup cold water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp butter, bacon fat or oil
Instructions
- Mix cornmeal with cold water.
- CAREFULLY add cornmeal to water that’s just simmering. (Add it to boiling water and it will bubble and explode everywhere)
- Reduce heat, cover and simmer over low heat for an hour, stirring often.
- Pour into lightly sprayed/greased dish ( 8×8 or 9×9 ) and let cool in fridge for a few hours.
- Cut into slices and pan fry in butter or oil over low heat until just lightly golden on both sides – about 10 minutes each side. Serve with maple syrup.
Thanks for the recipe Amanda! My mother and I were talking about how her mother, my grandma, used to fry it up for breakfast when we where kids. I asked Google, and there was your recipe! I was so excited my mom checked her pantry, and we are making some now! We can’t have it until tomorrow, but that is Christmas morning! I have not had this since I was a little boy. Now I’m 56 and looking for some of the good old food grandma made. Thank you!
–Tracy W.
I always fix mush in microwave. No burning. Bring water to boil and then add corn meal mixxed in ccold water. Stir and bring to boil, stiring once in a while or it will get lumpy. Finish with microwave at 60% for 3 minutes. Also a good ider to adf 2 tablespoons of flour to cold mix.
I LOVE fried cornmeal mush! Especially when bacon drippings are used in the oil. One question – Can I used white cornmeal? Stores are out of yellow.
My father use to make us this as children. My parents were from Ohio but we were raised in Florida. Thank you so much for the recipe!
My Grandma used to make this she put it in a bread pan and then sliced it when it was cooled.She also fed it to her barn cats because it was cheap.