Julie Clark
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Cornmeal Mush
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An old-fashioned cornmeal mush recipe that you can serve as a hot porridge cereal for breakfast, or as a side dish to a main dish at dinner time.
Although Matt and I both spent our childhood days in Ohio, he was in the south and I was in the north. We’ve realized over the almost 20 years we’ve been married that these two parts of Ohio tend to be very different. Many things that he remembers from his grandma growing up, I never experienced.
And this cornmeal mush recipe is one of them. He’s crazy for it.
A few weeks ago I showcased this on Instagram and so many of you call it grits. I’m not sure where the name “mush” comes from other than it looks like mush 😅 But with a little milk and real maple syrup, it’s delicious! Such a simple comfort food.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Reader Carl says, “Made this In remembrance of mom for mother’s day breakfast. Creamy recipe and brought back memories of a warm kitchen and family early morning.”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Reader Elaine says, “So much better than you think would be possible. Wavering? Just make it!”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Reader Charlie says, “I just made this 100% by the directions above. Poured some in a cereal bowl, added almost a tablespoon of butter, two teaspoons of beautiful old fashioned white sugar (I’m not a fan of corn syrup or maple syrup in my cereal) and milk. Delicious! But it takes 15 minutes at the stove. But over all I will do this again!”
About this Cornmeal Mush Recipe:
- Flavor: Mush itself doesn’t have much flavor except for a hint of cornmeal. The flavor comes with what you drizzle on top. Syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, honey, or even fresh fruit is delicious.
- Texture: Except for the slight cornmeal texture, this hot cereal is smooth and thick.
- Method: This is made on the stovetop, so you’ll need a big pot (or small pot of you’re just cooking for two like we are now. )
Make this old fashioned dish on Christmas morning. It will quickly become a long time favorite.
Cornmeal Mush vs. Polenta? Or Grits?
Many times today this recipe is called cornmeal polenta. From my research It can be served at breakfast with a touch of cream and honey or maple syrup. Perfectly sweet.
Or it can be served as the side dish to meaty main dish with a bit of fresh salsa, your favorite herbs and even a touch of parmesan cheese. So savory and delicious.
Whether you serve it for breakfast or as a savory side dish with bacon, the warmth of this corn mush will warm your belly on cold winter days.
Our recipe came from an old cookbook and is an Amish cornmeal mush recipe from Amish country.
What is cornmeal mush made of?
Cornmeal mush has simple ingredients that you most likely have in your pantry. It starts with boiling water, then you add cornmeal, milk, and a bit of salt.
That’s it! 4 simple ingredients and you’re on your way to a warm cereal.
How to Make Cornmeal Mush
- To make mush, simply start 3 cups of cold water boiling in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the cornmeal, milk and salt. It’s important to mix this first in a separate bowl and not just add the individual ingredients to the boiling water. If you do, it will clump up and you don’t want clumps!
- Slowly pour the milk/cornmeal mixture into the hot water. Whisk constantly.
- Keep stirring the mixture until it comes to a boil again. Then reduce the heat to low and cook/stir the mixture for about 15 minutes until it has thickened to the consistency you like.
Simple as that! It takes about as long to make as if you were making oatmeal on the stovetop.
What to Serve with Cornmeal Mush
Serve this cornmeal mush with:
How to Make Fried Mush
Matt loves mush, but what he likes even more is old fashioned fried cornmeal mush. You can take this thick porridge, pour mixture into a loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap and let it set in the fridge overnight.
The next morning, cut the loaf of cornmeal mush into ½ to 1-inch slices and fry it in oil in a skillet until golden brown.
Find our complete fried cornmeal mush recipe here.
Recipe Variations
- Add raisins and nuts for a hearty breakfast.
- Make it dairy free by using almond milk or oat milk.
- This is gluten free if you make sure that your cornmeal is gluten free.
- Try swirling apple butter into the top. It may just be my personal preference, but in the fall, it’s better than my favorite syrup!
Other Cornmeal Recipes:
Cornmeal Mush
Old-fashioned, comforting cornmeal mush recipe that you can serve as a hot porridge cereal for breakfast, or as a side dish to a main dish at dinner time.
Servings 5
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup 2% milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt to taste
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil. 3 cups water
- In a small bowl, mix together the cornmeal, milk and salt. 1 cup yellow cornmeal, 1 cup 2% milk, ½ teaspoon salt
- Slowly pour the cornmeal/milk mixture into the boiling water, stirring constantly.
- Bring it to a boil again, then reduce heat and stir almost constantly (to avoid clumps) for about 15 minutes or until the mixture is thickened to the consistency you like.
- Serve warm with cream and maple syrup.
Video
Notes
Calories are based on a serving of 1 cup.
Nutrition
Calories: 151kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 259mg | Potassium: 176mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 79IU | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 1mg
I didn’t have any oatmeal or cereal this morning, so I make this this morning. I cut the recipe into thirds since it was just me, and it was really good!
Really good. We topped ours with leftover cranberry sauce.
I recently had a Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass. In my recovery I really wanted something comforting. I experimented with this recipe because I’ve always made mush with water only. I can’t have fat or added sugar and need tons of protein. I was able to use skim milk and add a scoop of unflavored Isopure whey protein to the corn meal. It cooked up just as well as I’d hoped and hit the right protein range for my needs. The milk makes it creamier than I’m used to, but we’ve always added milk to our mush after cooking.
One soup ladle of cornmeal
About a half of cup of shreaded cheese
A second ladle a of cornmeal to melt the cheese
A little butter, salt and pepper on top
Syrup is for waffles ☺
Hi. I grew up in western Pa., south of Pittsburgh. My grandmother made cornmeal mush back in the 50’s. She made it in a loaf pan and always made some for our house next door to fry for breakfast. We always had the real maple syrup to pour over it. Sometimes we has sausage with it. You have to buy organic cornmeal and use real maple syrup to get the experience that I remember. I can still remember the flavors…
I bought a lot of course cornmeal and found it was a little too gritty…anyway, I was looking for a “porridge” recipe and found you. Very easy reading…Thanks!
I remember the harvast market every fall. 25lbs of corn meal ,oats. Flour, big jars of honey maple syrup Molasses. It was the base for nearly everything we ate through the winter months. Pan cakes ,cookies , stuffing. There will never be a better time to be a live then back in the 1950s and 1960s….Still love a big bowl of hot cornmeal mush for breakfast or just to warm up before bed.
How long are you all stirring this for. I’ve had this boiling/simmering for 45 minutes and its still almost entirely liquid! Excited to try it once it finally gets done haha.
As a child whenever there was something we didn’t like to eat,our mother would always tell us,”be glad you’re not having corn meal mush”. She told us she had it for breakfast,lunch and dinner when she was growing up and vowed that when she left home she would never eat it again or feed it to her family.So I don’t even remember having cornmeal in the house when I was growing up. But I made this yesterday with the cream and syrup and it was really good. I will make it again and glad I tried it. And glad to… Read more »
So much better than you think would be possible. Wavering? Just make it!
We always made it with all water and I liked it when it was cold and put in a loaf pan to get cold,then slice it and fry it then put syrup on it. That’s how we did it in Ohio
Is it like grits? Or harmony
Can this be made as a single serving in the microwave? If so what be the amounts of ingredients?
How do u make the corn meal mush made with coffee? That’s how I grew up eating it but I can’t find this recipe anywhere and my grandma passed who made it and no one remembers how in my family, ughhh. Thanks so much
Warm greatness! I added a touch of butter and used polenta. Will make more next time to roll in wrap and cool to firm up so that I can make fry corn-cakes easily, possibly adding bacon pieces, jalapenos and corn topped with some fresh scallions.
Mmm, I can taste it already!