There are some things that are unequivocally associated with the south and southern kitchens.
Like Cast Iron and Cornbread.
I don’t remember a time when Cast Iron and Cornbread weren’t a part of my life.
Cornbread is a part of our dressing and stuffing, it’s a side for a meal, it’s an accompaniment for sausage, perfect with cheese, or just hot and slathered with butter because you’re craving good, delicious comfort food to warm your body and soothe your soul.
15 years ago, Nathan’s family introduced me to his Gran’s Fried Cornbread. Cornbread batter is dropped into cast iron skillets filled with hot grease and fried into discs. This blew my mind.
Who knew you could do that? I mean obviously I knew about hushpuppies, but FRIED CORNBREAD.
In case you’re wondering, that’s good stuff. They serve the fried cornbread with homemade beans, and it is both messy and delicious.
My world was rocked.
My family was definitely more traditional; cornbread was baked in stick form (cast iron molds – which I have inherited) in skillets, muffin form, and even in pyrex. We pretty much subscribe to there being no wrong way to make cornbread.
We’ve eaten a lot of cornbread over the past few weeks. Apparently South Texas finally got the memo that it’s Winter, because the weather has been dreary and grey, so I’ve made lots of this Buttery, skillet cornbread to serve with Roasted Poblano Turkey Chili, Jalapeno sausage and beans, Spicy Jambalaya and Loaded Baked Potato Soup.
In case you’re wondering just how good this cornbread is:
Southern Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 C sifted all purpose flour
- 2/3 C sugar
- 5 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 2/3 C yellow cornmeal
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 2/3 C milk
- 1/4 C + 2 Tbsp 6 Tbsp melted butter
Instructions
- Place a 12" Cast Iron skillet into your oven and turn it on to 425°F to preheat
- Sift your flour and measure it out, place the flour into a large mixing bowl
- Add in sugar, baking powder, salt, and cornmeal (whisk together)
- Melt the butter, while the butter is melting; whisk the two eggs and milk together.
- Pour the egg mixture into the dry mix and blend well with a wooden spoon.
- Drizzle the melted butter over the mixture and gently mix until just blended.
- Remove the cast iron skillet from the oven and pour the cornmeal batter into the sizzling cast iron skillet - this gives you that crispy crusty bottom
- Place the skillet in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, start checking at 15 or 16 minutes. The top will be a lovely golden color and a piece of dry spaghetti will come out with just a few crumbs, when poked in the center of the cornbread for testing.
Yummy! Can’t wait to make this!
It’s SO good, D! Can’t wait to her your thoughts!
Your grandfather loved to crumble up cornbread in milk, and so did I. It was our Sunday evening meal on many,many, many Sunday nights when we were too full from Sunday lunch to want much else. Granddaddy ate his in buttermilk. I preferred sweet milk. Yum! So good.
I remember hearing about that <3 Love those memories, mama! Thank you for sharing! <3
I grew up eating cornbread and buttermilk and it’s ding dang good. Do you use your same cornbread recipe when you fry it?
Hey Gloria,
That’s how my GrandDaddy ate it, too! Crumbled up in a glass of buttermilk, my mom preferred sweet milk 😉
I haven’t made the fried cornbread myself, but I am trying to find Gran’s recipe and knock the remembering of it into my husband’s head 😉 I’ll share it as soon as I have it!
You get the BEST pictures! That one if your son is excellent! Looks like a great recipe for cornbread too!
You are so sweet, Debra! Thank you so much! I hope you try this recipe out and let me know!
Rachel, this sound delicious and to be honest, I have never made corn bread this way. I just brought home a great, big old cast iron skillet that belonged to my mother-in-law and this sounds like the perfect recipe to christen this pan. My husband loves corn bread, so he’ll be a happy guy! Thanks for sharing!
Oh Cindy! you MUST make this and let me know what you think! You’re a lucky girl to get a family heirloom skillet!
We always ate cornbread with just about anything and everything, although if I can be vulnerable here for a minute: I may be the only good Texas girl who was never introduced to cast iron until I was in my 20s.
I hope you can still love me 🙂
It’s okay, Heather — I believe there are support groups for southerners who haven’t grown up with Cast Iron 😉
(j/k) … maybe
You know I still love ya girl
I grew up with my aunt making something similar, but they used buttermilk instead of whole milk.
Do you see any reason not to substitute buttermilk in the recipe?
My Mom used to make those little cornbread pancakes, they are so delicious. Often she would mix in crumbled up pan sausage, perhaps some bacon or even ham. There were a few times that she would drop in some leftover corn with a bit of onion or just whatever was at hand.
I remember standing at the bus stop with a few of them in a paper napkin, nibbling away as I waited to go to school. I still make them occassionally for my guys, they are always a treat.
That sounds delicious and I love that memory! Thank you so much for sharing it!!
The weather is perfect for loads and load of buttery cornbread, Yummy!
This weather is perfect for loads and loads of buttery cornbread! yummy~
Absolutely!!! Dulce de leche cookies! Woman, those sound amazing!
This is one of those times I’m just not southern enough. I’ve never enjoyed cornbread the way I know I should! My husband on the other hand… 😉
No more mouthwatering Monday linky?
It will be back!! This out of town thing….
So, are you a sweet cornbread kind of girl? I like it nice and sweet with honey on top, but my mama never made it sweet when I was a kid.
I love honey butter on my cornbread, Karly 😉 I didn’t grow up with sweet cornbread, and there are a LOT Of people who’d tell you that true southern cornbread doesn’t have sugar in it, but I beg to differ 😉
I don’t know that there’s really a way to go wrong with cornbread made from scratch, y’know 😉 mmmm now you have my craving honey butter and hot cornbread!
I’m from Northwestern Pennsylvania. My mom and dad used iron skillets and my sisters and I each got a set when we moved out. Even us Yankee’s know there’s nothing like cooking in cast iron. 😉 It makes the best eggs, sausage gravy and even deep dish pizza! My mom always made her cornbread in a baking dish with a sweet brown sugar and butter topping. I didn’t know any other way of making cornbread until I moved to Colorado. I still love the sweet version but my husband isn’t a fan. I’m making chili tonight and was trying to find a recipe for skillet cornbread and came across yours. It looks heavenly! Can’t wait to eat some!!
Okay. What do I do with the milk in the recipe? Or am I missing something here. . .
Sounds great, but I suggest forgetting the eggs and sugar, and use white cornmeal. The eggs and sugar make it almost a desert rather than a bread. This is the cornbread my mother and grandmother made and there is nothing better with red beans (with plenty of juice) over the top. Also good crumbled in milk.
About 3 minutes before cornbread is done, take it out of the oven and flip it over in the pan and both sides will be crunchy! Delicious
Out in Utah we had jalapeno cornbread with a great garlic butter spread. Loved it, though it was a little cakier than normal – almost like dessert cornbread.
Is this a recipe that isn’t real sweet? I don’t like the sweet cornbread, I like the other kind best.
It’s funny how every family has different takes on cornbread. I didn’t know there was even a recipe. I heat my cast skillet (my various cast iron pieces are fourth generation) while the oven is preheating to about 425 , mix enough cornmeal and water to make a paste and pour into the screaming hot skillet. Cook until the top of the cornbread begins to crack and it’s firm all the way through. Slather with butter and it will be nothing but crisp top and bottom. Good with beans and chili, and anything that strikes your fancy. I’m making it with Irish Stew tonight because its dreary and raining and now I’m really hungry. My husband requested stew to warm his bones.
Just made this to go along with a pot of chili. It was absolutely fantastic. Followed the recipe as written and it turned out great. Very light in texture, and yet the butter added a nice rich touch. Mmmmmmmmm. Five stars.
YAY! Thank you so much for taking the time to come let me know!!!! This is definitely our favorite cornbread! Have a delicious week!! — <3 Rachel