PrintWhat are your variations on cornbread?
This All-American quick bread can be thin & crispy or thick & light. Baked in a cast-iron skillet, sq. baking pan or made into muffins. What ingredients take your ordinary cornbread to one that guests request your secret recipe? Use yellow or white cornmeal? Make cornbread stuffing, hushpuppies or fried mush? I like mine a little sweet & served with pinto bean soup.
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19 Comments:
I use oj for the liquid
NanaJoie at 5:33PM on 09/29/07
This is a recipe that my wife and I formulated for eGullet a while back.
Ingredient Notes:
1) Instead of buttermilk you can use 1-1/4 cup milk + 1/4 cup plain Yogurt or Sour Cream) – I like to use sour cream and skim milk.
2) About the Sugar: use 1-3 Tbs, depending on how sweet, or not, you like your cornbread.
3) Optional ingredients: corn kernels, shredded cheese, chopped sautéed hot peppers, chopped cilantro
2 Slices Bacon
1 c Yellow Stone-ground Cornmeal
1 c All-Purpose Flour
3/4 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Baking Powder
1-1/2 tsp Salt
3/4 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2 T Sugar
1 Egg, lightly beaten
1-1/2 c Buttermilk (see note above for substitutions)
Heat the oven to 350°F. Place cast iron skillet over low heat and slowly cook the bacon. Occasionally stir and slice the bacon (I use 2 knives) until the bacon is crisp and the fat has rendered, then place pan in the oven (leave the crumbled bacon & grease in the pan). While bacon is cooking, sift together the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar and pepper. In a second bowl, combine the egg and milk.
When the bacon is done and the skillet is in the oven, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients along with any optional additions (see notes), and stir to mix fairly well. Quickly open the oven and pour the batter into the skillet and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Turn the cornbread out on a rack so it doesn't get soggy as it cools.
jperlow at 5:50PM on 09/29/07
I have a variety of recipes, so depending on what I am serving.....last night it was a bit sweeter variety with home canned green beans cooked with smoked pork shanks...dinner was a hurry up kinda deal.
But basically my recipes have sort of common ingredients and I use yellow cornmeal normally, or self-rising if I can find it.
My muffin pans are some old things, very thin and look like some early non-stick, being thin they brown wonderfully.....or I do cornbread in my iron skillet in the oven if I am using the self-rising recipe.
Pinto bean soup is one of my faves also, years ago found a recipe for Arizona Mountain Soup, it's a keeper
Zapp
dmzapp at 7:05PM on 09/29/07
@jperlow: I'm going to have to try your bacon cornbread recipe - sound delicious!
When I make cornbread muffins, I reduce the milk and add creamed corn. It makes for a nice moist muffin.
I make regular, unsweet cornbread for my grandmother's cornbread dressing. There's no real recipe, I just had to watch her make it several times.
1 pan cornbread, cubed.
Some celery
Some onion
The celery hearts
Green onion
Giblets, turkey or chicken
Hard boiled egg, 1 or 2
Chicken stock
Thyme
Salt and pepper
Saute the celery and onion (not the hearts and green onion, though) in a little butter. Add celery, onion, raw celery hearts, raw green onion, and the diced hard boiled egg to the cornbread. Simmer the giblets in some water. Dice the giblets and add to the cornbread mix. Use the giblet water to moisten. Add addtional chicken stock if needed. Season with salt, pepper and thyme. Turn into a buttered casserole and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until the top is nice and golden.
Tellicherry at 8:13PM on 09/29/07
Thanks for sharing recipes & tips! I have never thought about OJ & the cr corn idea is one I'll try.
I like my plain corn bread drizzled with honey. Green chiles are a good addition. Also have seen cornbread crouton recipes.
JEP at 9:16PM on 09/29/07
JEP, I'm with you- sweet cornbread with green chiles or jalapenos is fantastic!
I love adding honey to mine, and I second creamed corn.
Christina at 11:22AM on 09/30/07
Anyone resort to Jiffy or similar cornbread mixes?
Also like crumbled warm cornbread with milk :)
JEP at 6:16PM on 09/30/07
I put blueberries in mine and I use honey and maple syrup in the batter. Mmmm. I'm actually going to make some later this week!
charm city cupcake at 9:59PM on 09/30/07
Gaah, JEP, again I find myself agreeing with you. Crumbled cornbread in warm milk, with a sprinkling of sugar and a spoon, is heavenly. Darnit, I miss the South! : (
Christina at 1:09AM on 10/01/07
Also enjoy eating cornbread with green salads. I have a friend who spreads peanut butter on cornbread.
JEP at 5:42AM on 10/01/07
Of course ... corndogs! :-)
LunaPierCook at 11:42AM on 10/01/07
LPC--thanks for your link!
Corn pudding or casserole is another one I like--especially at Thanksgiving :)
JEP at 11:49AM on 10/01/07
I will readily admit to using the Jiffy box on occasion. I add a little sugar and some Benton's bacon fat.
sawyerriley at 4:50PM on 10/01/07
My MIL (in TN) eats day-old cornbread crumbled into a glass of buttermilk. I always use buttermilk to make the cornbread, but I refuse to drink it!
:-o
Anyway, traditionalist here. Southern cornbread does not contain sugar (it's the Northern variety where that got started). It is, however, often eaten with sorghum molasses or honey. Of course, it's also *supposed* to be made with white meal, but I use yellow... And, I do add some white flour, which my MIL would probably faint about. So, maybe I'm "mostly" a traditionalist!
;-)
Cooked in a skillet in a 400-degree oven. If I have bacon fat or lard, that greases the pan. If not, I make do with Crisco. You can buy instant buttermilk. I keep some on hand in case I forget to buy fresh.
Cornbread is one of my specialties. I am repeatedly asked for the recipe, and if I don't make it when I make bean soup, you'd think I was on trial for murder.
Only variation for me is sometimes chile peppers and cheese, rarely corn.
LoCo at 6:53PM on 10/01/07
I use Jiffy to make the best (and easiest) waffles... Almost made them twice this weekend :)
alexb at 8:47PM on 10/01/07
I love to cook cornbread in the form of muffins, mainly Jiffy muffins. I just follow the recipe and add the sugar for sweetness.
justboycrazy at 12:18AM on 10/02/07
I've been making "Spicy Roasted Red Pepper and Cheese Corn Breads" every since Gourmet published the recipe in 1990.
I've made them in large and small loaf pans, in large and small muffin tins, in round cake pans, and in cast iron skillets. I love them in every incarnation.
They are especially delicious re-toasted.
Recipe on Epicurious: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/13584
floretbroc at 12:25PM on 10/03/07
I love love love when cornbread is served in a hot cast iron skillet and it is sweet. Mmmm!
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 6:36PM on 10/04/07
My favorite cornbread recipe is just the basics. A cornmeal mix, egg, and sweet milk, a little oil and bake in a hot oiled, cast iron skillet.
But my kids love the taste of Jiffy mix. But when I make jiffy mix it always seems to fall apart while slicing or after it's on the plate. It tastes great but is so fragile, it must be eaten with a fork.
Can someone tell me what I am doing wrong, or could that just be the nature of Jiffy mix? I follow the directions to the letter and bake in my cast iron skillet.
smitchathome at 9:08PM on 04/12/08