Our Family's Traditional (nothing's better) Cornbread

So, I was browsing around on the internet today and..well, one thing led to another.  You know how it goes, right?  I found a lovely blog post at One Good Thing by Jillee with a fantastic sounding blueberry pancakes recipe and touting a number of reasons why we should ALL own a cast iron skillet.  This got me to thinking about my Mama baking up pan after pan of cornbread for our annual Thanksgiving cornbread dressing and I decided that I really needed to share her recipe (or rather....her mother's recipe) with all the world.  It's just too good to keep it all to myself.

I concur with all of Jillee's reasons why you need a cast iron skillet, and then some; but, this post is about cornbread!!  I love cornbread and it's just NOT the same if it's not baked in a cast iron skillet.  That being said - here is the recipe for my family's delicious cornbread perfection!! (Be forewarned - I never claimed this is the healthiest recipe - lol)

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Ingredients:

Yellow Corn Meal           1¹/₃ cup (don't use white - ick!)

Flour                              ²/₃ cup (all-purpose)

Sugar                             ¼ cup

Salt                                ½ teaspoon

Baking Powder               1 Tbsp

Egg, beaten                    1

Milk                               1 cup (whole milk is best but any milk will do)

Bacon Grease, melty        ¼ cup (can use shortening or 3-4 Tbsp oil but I wouldn't)

Preheat oven to 425°F.  Grease your 10” cast iron skillet.

Mix together dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Add egg, milk and grease.  Beat until smooth using a fork or mixer.  Do not overbeat this - it will be tough and too dense!  Once batter is smooth, pour into greased 10” skillet (you could use a regular baking pan or muffin pan but it just won't be the same, trust me!).   Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

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Who could resist such a beautiful mouthful of joy?  Certainly not me.

A lot of ladies commenting on other posts about cast iron cookware had the genius idea to find these treasures at thrift stores and garage sales.  I do not know WHY I never thought of this myself.  I only own ONE cast iron skillet and to buy them new costs an arm and a leg - not to mention that the "pre-seasoned at the factory" pots and pans leave a lot to be desired.  So, if you don't have at least one cast iron cookware item, I would encourage you to go out and find one.  The older and more heavily used they are, the better.  Happy cooking my friends. (0=

Disclaimer:  The images posted here are not mine.  I haven't made this since last Thanksgiving so I currently do not have any of my own pictures.  These photos very closely represent what my finished product looks like.   I've placed links on each photo back to it's source.