Southern Skillet Cornbread

Southern Skillet Cornbread - Caity

November 20, 2014

My mom has many opinions on "Southern Cornbread" vs. "Yankee Cornbread". Since she lived in Georgia for many years as a child, I highly respect her opinion and will summarize it here: "Yankee Cornbread" is wrong. All wrong. It has sugar in it which is completely unacceptable. Especially if you're using it to make stuffing. If someone feels this strongly about cornbread, I think you ought to listen to them!

Tutu (my mom's mom) always made Southern Cornbread for Thanksgiving Stuffing when my mom was growing up. The problem is that she made it without a recipe which is extremely hard to replicate. The only Cathy approved recipe for cornbread (besides Tutu's) comes from the Pioneer Woman's recipe "Skillet Cornbread". The bread comes out nice and crispy on the bottom and tastes fantastic. If you're using it for stuffing, you can make it up to a month before hand and freeze until you're ready to use which is what I have done this year in preparation for Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving!

One year ago: Mashed Ruta bega Gratin

Two years ago: Fresh Cranberry Orange Relish, Holiday Green Beans

Three years ago: Orange and Herbs Turkey Brine

Four years ago: Thanksgiving Stuffing

what you'll need:

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup milk

1 whole egg

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. shortening

Preheat the oven to 450 F.

Combine cornmeal, flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl. Stir together.

Measure the buttermilk and milk in a measuring cup and add the egg. Stir together with a fork. Stir in the baking soda.

Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir with a fork until combined.

In an cast iron skillet (or oven proof skillet or I've used my Le Creuset) over medium-high heat, melt the 1/4 cup of shortening. Slowly add the melted shortening to the batter, stirring until just combined.

Heat the remaining 2 Tbsp. of shortening in the skillet over medium heat. When melted, pour the batter into the hot skillet. Spread out to even the surface and allow the batter to sizzle for 1 minute.