Heritage

Cornbread

cornbread

I love cornbread! And I always want the corner piece with the crusty edges… so when I saw this cornbread skillet at Cabella’s last fall I “hinted” to my husband that I would like it. Bless his heart, the man remembered, and got it for me for my birthday a couple of months ago.

I’ve been making cornbread at least once a week since. I always like having left-overs, too. Cold cornbread crumbled in a glass of milk makes a good breakfast! “Sweet milk” if you please. I don’t mind buttermilk by itself, but I want “sweet milk” with my cornbread. (For those of you who aren’t southern, “sweet milk” is really not sweetened. That’s just what you call regular milk when you are talking about buttermilk! Or something. Yeah. Anyway.)

I don’t want sugar in my cornbread either. Because if you put sugar in it, it tastes like cake, which is okay if you like it, I guess. But it doesn’t taste like “proper” cornbread.

Apparently I inherited this taste preference.

The story goes that Granddaddy grew up with no-sugar-in-the-cornbread, so when they got married Grandmother learned to make cornbread that way. And so all 10 of their children grew up with no-sugar-in-the-cornbread. One of those children was my mother, so consequently I grew up with no-sugar-in-the-cornbread. And that’s the way I like it.

Here’s my recipe:

Cornbread

  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 cup self-rising flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 4+ tablespoons bacon drippings*
  • 1 1/4 cups milk

Turn on oven to 375 degrees. Grease cast iron skillet with bacon drippings. Put in oven to preheat. Melt 4 tablespoons bacon drippings in microwave. Mix all ingredients. Pour batter into hot skillet. Bake until golden brown.

* Yes, I save and use my bacon drippings. I’m a good southern Cook that way. However, you can substitute vegetable shortening or even oil for the bacon drippings if you prefer. The cornbread won’t have quite as good a flavor, but if you’re not used to cooking with bacon drippings you probably won’t notice.

12 Comments

  • Lisa

    I’m going to try your recipe and I LOVE your pan. I think I might show your blog post to my husband……Great addition to any kitchen, I’d say!! Wonderful show and tell. It’s fun to see everyone’s treasures!!

  • Hope

    Oh my! Now my mouth is watering!! I love cornbread and I also like the crunchy kind. I make mine in a regular cast iron skillet but I make it thin so it will be crunchier. I also eat milk and bread..sweet milk and also buttermilk. I don’t drink milk of any kind..don’t like it..but I love it with cornbread crumbled in!! Weird, huh? We don’t do the sugar kind either but my mom always preferred the white meal and not yellow so that’s what I’m use to. Other than that, my recipe is just like yours. Love those bacon drippings!! LOL
    Thanks for sharing and wish I could have a piece! 🙂

    Hugs,
    Hope

  • Toots

    Well, I’ll have to admit, we love sweet cornbread at our house. I like your pan though, for crispy edges. And, maybe the bacon drippings would make the difference.??? Don’t know which is worse for us, the sugar or the drippings! LOL!

  • Cheryl

    I love your new skillet thingy okokok, I love cornbread too lol. I think I would take two of those pieces and place them so they look like a heart 🙂 cute,cute,cute..

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