hasty pudding

1. Cornmeal mush served with maple syrup, brown sugar, or other sweetening.
2. Chiefly British. A mush made with flour or oatmeal.

English, sixteenth century; made from flour, milk, butter, and spices, which, since they were usually readily available, could be quickly made into a pudding for unexpected visitors. Made in the USA with maize (corn) flour instead of wheat flour.

This easy, versatile dish was enjoyed by Colonial Americans both for breakfast and for dessert. It's a simple cornmeal mush made with water or milk and sometimes sweetened with molasses, maple syrup or honey. If the dish isn't sweetened during cooking, a syrup or sweet sauce usually accompanies a hasty pudding. It's served hot, sometimes with milk or cream.

The noun has 2 meanings:

Meaning #1: (British usage) sweetened porridge made of tapioca or flour or oatmeal cooked quickly in milk or water

Meaning #2: (New England usage) cornmeal mush served with sweetening (maple syrup or brown sugar)