Best Cornbread

[ofelles]

​For a Cajun flair
Piquant Corn Bread

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter or bacon fat or lard, for greasing pan
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ¾ tsp ground cumin
• â…“ cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1½ cups cheddar cheese or Jack, grated
• ¾ cup buttermilk
• ¾ cup milk
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, minced
• 1(2) jalapeños, stemmed, seeded and minced
• ½ small white onion, minced
• ½ small red bell pepper, minced

Preparation:

1. Heat oven to 350ËšF. Preheat a 10" or 12" cast iron skillet (see note) with butter or lard in oven. Tilt the pan to coat the oil all over the bottom and sides to prevent sticking when adding the batter.
2. Whisk cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, chili powder, salt, and cumin in a bowl.
3. In another bowl, whisk together butter and egg; stir in cheese, buttermilk, milk, cilantro, jalapeños, onions, and peppers.
4. Stir mixture into dry ingredients mixing well; pour into hot pan; quickly smooth with a rubber spatula. Bake for 30 +/- minutes.
5. Remove from cast iron skillet as soon as cool enough to handle (pan will rust).

Note: For 15" pan increase all ingredients by ½ and bake at 350°F for 35 minutes +/-

[smokin fool]

Haven't made corn bread in years, had a scratch recipe but haven't seen it in years either so looking forward to these recipes.
I do remember adding a shake of cayanne pepper or tabasco to give it some zing.

[gboss]

Used browned butter for next level flavor.

[WayneT]

I made this recipe from D’artagnan last weekend to go with my duck chili. I thought it was very good but my wife thought it was fantastic. I think Raichlen has a similar recipe with cheddar added.

[TripleB]

Trader Joe's cornbread. Simple and very good.

[Bkhuna]

Jiffy mix is a southern classic, but, like our (iced) tea, it is a bit on the sweet side.

I suppose that depends on one's definition of "Southern". Jiffy is corn muffin mix made in Michigan and contains sugar, and a high proportion of flour to cornmeal. Too cake-like and sweet for me.

It's one of the age old arguments between different regions, like Duke's mayo and how much sugar to add to tea.

[wrgilb]

Here's one I like with a little different twist. Blackberry Jalapeño Corn bread.

[SheilaAnn]

That looks like it’s straight outta food network magazine!

[wrgilb]

SheilaAnn, I just made another one yesterday, I had forgotten how good this was until the thread came back up.

[Finster]

I make decent cornbread, but nowhere near as good as the local amish...
I can't figure out what they do to get it to be so moist🤷‍♂️
I buy theirs way more often than I make my own..

[smokin fool]

I wonder if they add sour cream to keep it so moist
Maybe vegetable oil
Mystery

[IowaGirl]

If for some reason, you need to make a gluten free cornbread, try this one. I made it for a friend who has celiac disease and is sensitive to gluten. My mister likes this recipe so well, it's the only one I make anymore, even though neither of us needs to avoid gluten. It's not overly sweet. I make it with corn flour or fine corn meal for a smoother texture but you can certainly use coarse ground corn meal (aka polenta) if you prefer a more rustic texture.

Rice-flour Corn Bread

1 TBL butter for coating the pan

5 oz (1 cup) white rice flour
3.2 oz (3/4 cup) corn flour or fine corn meal
1.8 oz (1/4 cup) sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt

2 eggs
8 oz (1 cup) milk
4 oz (1/4 cup, 1/2 stick) butter, melted

4 to 8 oz (1/2 to 1 cup) sweet corn, optional. See Note below.​

Preheat oven to 400 F / 200 C. Add 1 TBL butter to a 10" cast iron skillet. Put the skillet into oven to preheat.

Whisk dry ingredients in medium bowl until well mixed. Stir sweet corn, if using, into the dry ingredients to coat the kernels with the flour mixture. Combine eggs, milk, and the rest of the butter in another bowl. Mix until well blended.

IMPORTANT -- Wait to combine the wet and dry ingredients until after the oven is fully preheated and ready to bake.

When the oven is to temperature, remove the skillet from the oven and swirl the pan to coat the entire bottom with butter. Pour liquids into dry ingredients and stir until just blended.

Immediately pour the batter into hot skillet and put the skillet into the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the edges are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve warm.​

***

This cornbread is just as good the day after as it is hot from the oven. To get this recipe to rise well -- Don't combine the wet and dry ingredients until the skillet is preheated and ready. Also get the batter into the oven immediately after pouring the batter into the skillet.

Note -- I strongly recommend including the sweet corn for added flavor, but the recipe works fine without. Can use fresh, frozen, or canned corn. If canned, drain off liquid.

[Washblue]

I don’t remember where I found this recipe, but I did venture out and make this one and have repeated it on occasion…

I’mi a cornbread purist… not tending to make a casserole out of it…

Pictures speak for themselves…. Put your shallots, sausage, pepper slice in the bottoms of the muffin pan then cover them with good cornbread batter…

[MBMorgan]

You're over-thinking this, youngster ...

[SheilaAnn]

You’re so cute to call me youngster all the time 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[SmokeyGator]

Buttermilk is not optional, it is required. Sweet VS not sweet is a regional thing, and I am SO FAR south that I have to drive north to get to the deep south. But I use honey and not sugar. If you are in the south AND your cornbread aint sweet, you might get run out of town.

Also I discovered you CAN smoke it. My Primo can easily get hot enough. I pre-heat the beast then using my BEST welding gloves lift the heat plate, add a chunk of wood, then put the plate back down. Then close the lid and take the welding gloves off, because they are getting toasty. Then lift the lid and put the cornbread back in.

[Bkhuna]

--------- --------- ---------- -- --- - ------ !

[RichieB]

I've done this a few times. In fact, today I said I need to do this. Fall is the perfect time for it.

https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/cornbread-recipe

[gcdmd]

I'm sorry I didn't think of this sooner. Here is a recipe we used when cooking for a crowd at a soup kitchen I worked at.

CHRIST' S KITCHEN CORNBREAD
BY TRUETT CROUCH

(2 pans) (6 pans) (8 pans)
CORNMEAL 2.5 LBS. 7.5 LBS. 10 LBS.
WHITE FLOUR 1 2/3 LBS. 5 LBS. 6 2/3 LBS.
BAKING POWDER 1/3 CUP 1 CUP 1 1/3 CUPS
SUGAR 2/3 CUP 2 CUPS 2 2/3 CUPS
SALT, SCANT 1/6 CUP 1/2 CUP 2/3 CUP
EGGS (LARGE) 10 30 40
OIL 1 CUP 3 CUPS 4 CUPS
WHOLE MILK 1/2 GAL. 1 1/2 GAL. 2 GAL.

COMBINE DRY INGREDIENTS.
COMBINE WET INGREDIENTS.
MIX DRY WITH WET INGREDIENTS.
PUT IN SLIGHTLY GREASED SHALLOW INSERT/HOTEL PANS (12” x 20”).
BAKE IN HOT (400^o F.) OVEN UNTIL BROWN.
​

[gcdmd]

This was carefully set up to show ingredients in three columns, depending on whether you wanted to make 2, six, or 8 insert/hotel pans (12' x 20"). Unfortunately, the program compressed the columns to the left.

[gcdmd]

Here are some additional links on cornbread for a crowd:

corn bread for 50 | Recipe Goldmine Recipes​

Cornbread for a Crowd - New England Today​

Sheet Pan Cornbread for a Crowd | Kitchn (thekitchn.com)​

Cornbread for a Crowd | Aloha Dreams​

Cornbread for a Crowd Recipe: How to Make It (tasteofhome.com)​

Giant Cornbread for a Crowd | At Mimi's Table (atmimistable.com)​

Cornbread Squares 50 servings (wi.gov)​