Cornbread
- Serves: 8
- Preparation Time: 15 minutes
- Total Cooking time: 45 minutes (20 if using the skillet method)
One of the clearest memories I have of growing up, are of my great grandmother Effie, known back then simply as Granny. Born around 1890, she was a sweet little lady, still spry in her late 70s when I was old enough to remember her, with an amazing wit and wry sense of humor. I can still recall the different smells and tastes of her humble, but delicious Great Depression era/North Carolina style cooking, the food was simple, used whatever was on hand at the time and made the most of whatever spices or seasoning you might be lucky enough to have on hand at the time. Granny passed away in 1984, at the ripe old age of 93 and is still missed to this day. But in she left a legacy of cooking styles and recipes passed down to my grandmother and mother and thru them to me. This cornbread recipe is one of those recipes, with a variation included that I have come up with recently. Delicious on its own right or with the southwestern style variation included, try this recipe with a simple pot of beans, or any hearty meal and enjoy with friends or family.
| Amount | Measure | Ingredients |
|---|---|---|
| 1 1/2 | cups | cornmeal |
| 1 | cup | flour |
| 2 | tsp | baking powder |
| 1 | tsp | baking soda |
| 2 | tbsp | sugar |
| 2 | tsp | salt |
| 2 | tbsp | oil |
| 2 | eggs | |
| 2 | cups | milk |
| 2 | tbsp | vinegar or lemon juice |
For Southwestern style add:
| Amount | Measure | Ingredients |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | tbsp | green chili sauce |
| 1 | tsp | onion powder |
| 2 | cloves | crushed garlic (about 1 tbsp) |
| 1/2 | cup | bacon cooked and crumbled |
| 1/2 | cup | cheddar cheese, shredded |
To prepare:
Mix the cornmeal, flour, and other dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir together to blend thoroughly. Next, add the lemon juice or vinegar to the milk in a separate bowl, and let sit for approximately 2-3 minutes (milk will slightly thicken). Whisk together the eggs and oil, adding in the green chili sauce, onion powder, and garlic at this point if you are making the southwestern style variation. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir together until smooth and without lumps. Fold in the bacon and cheese at this point and then pour into 2 greased large loaf pans in equal amounts. Bake in a 375 degree oven about 45 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.. Alternatively, pour into a heated large well oiled cast iron deep skillet and skillet fry until bubbles break the surface, flip with a spatula and cook another 10-15 minutes over medium heat until cooked thru. Serve hot with butter, or cold with a nice tall glass of milk.
