southern-style cornbread

I was born in the South, but I’m not a Southerner. My parents were carnies (they had all their teeth at the time, in case you were wondering) and I just so happened to be thought of, conceived, and born in the South. However, most of my life was spent in Michigan. When I think of traditional food of the American Midwest things like casseroles, Jell-O salad, meatloaf, and coney dogs come to mind. Those are all foods I have spent my life avoiding. Luckily, there are large populations of Greeks and Arabs in Michigan, who brought their food with them. If you serve me green bean casserole or a Cool Whip fruit salad, just don’t expect me to do anything but frown.

When it comes to traditional and comforting American food, I look to the South for inspiration. This recipe comes from Elise over at Simply Recipes, who I believe is a native of California, so I can’t vouch for the authenticity of this bread. If any of my Southern readers out there have any other cornbread recipes they’d like to share, then by all means! I poked around on the web a bit before deciding on a recipe, but the addition of the shredded cheese in this recipe was too hard to pass up. Cory and I both enjoyed this with last week’s turkey chili.

Southern-style cornbread
(adapted from Simply Recipes)
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1 c cornmeal
1 T baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 c milk or buttermilk
3 T bacon fat
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 c sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 small onion, chopped
3/4 c frozen corn, defrosted

- Preheat oven to 350F.

- Mix together cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir the milk, bacon fat, and beatened eggs into the mix. Fold in the cheese, onion, and corn.

- Pour the mix into a greased cast-iron skillet and bake for 45 minutes, or until golden.

Serves 6-8

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2. lentil salad with feta and sun-dried tomatoes
3. carrot salad
4. easy huevos rancheros with salsa verde
5. bread pudding with bourbon sauce

Tags: american, bread, gluten-free, quick bread, side dish