Product Review: Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Cornbread Mix

Product: Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Cornbread Mix – $2.99+

Yep…I still have some items from my original pillaging of Aldi back in May for their new (at the time) gluten-free products.  The mixes usually take some time for me to actually use.  I just have gotten out of the habit of making things from a simple mix.  That’s not a bad thing, mind you, except then my pantry remains very, very full.

Well…the other day I discovered a recipe for a Ethiopain dish that I wanted to try to make for dinner.  I didn’t want to serve it with rice.  But I knew that I wanted something more than just the black eyed peas and coconut milk mixture (with tons of veggies and spices).  When I realized that we still needed a habanero pepper for the dish, I sent my roommate out to the store while I got to work on cooking.  It dawned on me that I still had the cornbread mix from Aldi in my pantry.

I figured you can’t go wrong with an African dish served alongside a Southern favorite, right?

Let me start by saying that this is actually a very simple mix to put together.  Preheat the oven and then mix together 1 egg, 3/4 cup milk (I used almond  milk), and 1/2 cup oil.  Add the cornbread mix and beat well for around 2-3 minutes.  Place in a greased 8×8 baking pan and allow to stand for 10 minutes.  Then, pop it in the oven to bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  For me, it was between 20-25 minutes.

Somehow, my roommate missed the cornbread baking and cooling, although she entered the kitchen a few times.  How that happened, I’ll never know.  But, when my Black-Eyed Peas with Coconut Milk and Ethiopian Spices was done simmering…dinner was served.  And when I handed her a bowl of the curried black-eyed peas, she seemed most excited about the surprise slice of cornbread.  She dove right into it.

“It’s really sweet!” she said, as I prepared my own bowl and plate.

She was right.  Very right.  I settled into my seat and took a bite of my spicy dish  Then…the cornbread.

Sweet.  Like…cake.  Reminds me of the Mark Lowery riff on Southern cornbread.  “Do not put sugar in your cornbread.  Sugar in the cornbread is cake.”  HAHAHA!  Ah…funny.  *ahem*  Sorry.  But, yes…this is a sweet cornbread.  Not that it is a bad thing…except I grew up in the North…and we don’t do sweet tea or sweet cornbread.  That being said, this was the moistest, best tasting gluten-free cornbread from a mix that I have ever made.  I’ve even made some from scratch that haven’t baked up this moist and rich.  I can overlook that sweetness for the taste and texture that came out of this mix.  I am way beyond impressed.  Even more impressive…it reheats beautifully, retaining its moistness.  Simply amazing.  I would definitely purchase this again in a heartbeat.  And you certainly can’t beat that price.

Let’s discuss the ingredients that go into the liveGfree Gluten Free Cornbread Mix.  This mix is made up of sugar (yep…first ingredient!), yellow corn meal, white rice flour, potato starch, brown rice flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, natural vanilla flavor, salt, and xanthan gum.  This mix is gluten-free, lactose free, nut free, soy free, and wheat free.  The mix itself is cholesterol free…but that gets negated when you add the egg.

Speaking of which, how about the nutrition information?  A serving size is 1/4 cup of the mix.  It makes 12 servings.  One serving  of the mix is 130 calories and is fat free.  One serving will provide you with 360 mg sodium and 11 grams of sugar.  One serving also provides 1 gram of fiber and 1 gram of protein.

Sometimes love can come in the form of a simple gluten-free cornbread mix.  I was really happy with the way this baked up, the way it tasted, and the way it all came together.  Amazing.  I have been more than impressed by Aldi’s liveGfree line of products.  And this one is right on top!  Highly recommended.