🎶 “Beans and Cornbread had a fight, Beans knocked Cornbread out of sight, Cornbread said, “Now that’s alright… 🎶 Ok…I admit I sing this song every time someone mentions cornbread. And yes, I am one of those weirdos who has a song lyric or movie line to describe everything.

But I must also admit, a good meal can make you want to sing and this cornbread is just the thing.

Cornbread was one of the first recipes that I learned to cook from scratch. I was alongside my grandmother, cooking ‘a pot of beans’ as she called it, when she asked me to make a pan of cornbread. I searched all through the cabinets before reporting back to her that I didn’t find any cornbread mix. She responded with a scoff, “You don’t need cornbread mix”, before handing me a package of cornmeal. This was also the first time I ever cooked in a cast iron skillet.

I stood back and watched the ‘Master’ work! She swirled some oil at the bottom of a skillet and then put it in the hot oven. This perplexed me! “You cook the pan before putting in the cornbread?”, I thought to myself, but knew better than to ask. By the end of it all, I had the best thing I had ever tasted. I watched closely and never forgot.

This recipe is very close to hers, also Granny didn’t use any sugar in her recipe. She often said, “Sugar don’t belong in cornbread! You can’t use the leftover cornbread in a dressing because it’s sweet”. Now don’t call heaven to tell on me, but I do put a bit of sugar in my recipe. It’s still not sweet, but it does balance the flavor a bit more. And I do use this recipe in my cornbread dressing.

How to make cornbread?

Cornbread is made by mixing cornmeal, flour, baking powder, eggs, and milk, and baking it In a cast iron skillet or pan. Sometimes sugar is added for flavor.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter, for greasing pan

1 cup yellow cornmeal

 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 ⁄2 teaspoon salt

1 ⁄4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1 ⁄4cups whole milk

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons sugar

1 ⁄4 cup light tasting oil ex: canola or vegetable oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Tools you may need

Cast Iron Skillet

How to do it

Preheat to 375 degrees.

Place the 2 tb butter skillet, then place skillet in the oven as it preheats. Don’t skip this step. It helps get that cornbread crust that we all know and love.

Meanwhile, combine the dry ingredients in a bowl., gently stir or whisk.

Add in eggs, milk, and oil, and gently whisk until smooth.

Remove hot skillet from oven then pour in the batter immediately.

Place pan back into the oven and bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown and the edges pulled away from the sides of the pan.

FAQ’s

Is cornbread gluten-free?

A standard cornbread recipe is generally not gluten-free due to the wheat flour that is most often used. However, swapping this out for a gluten-free flour can be done fairly easily, making it then, gluten-free.

Does cornbread taste better with oil or butter?

Cornbread with butter only tends to be a drier-tasting cornbread. While oil only tends to give a softer texture. It’s a personal preference. For best results, use both.

Do southerners put sugar in their cornbread?

No! Southern cornbread is usually a savory quick bread.

If you read the comments on my video, you will see that I have been reprimanded for my use of sugar. But like I say, “It’s your kitchen, who gone check you?!”

What do Southerners eat with cornbread?

Beans and Greens. But really, anything we can sop our cornbread in.

Chili

Soup

Black Eyed Peas

Beef Stew

Red Beans and Rice