As a Southerner, I am very picky about my cornbread, although not in the way one might think. Going against my region's tradition, I happen to like mine just a little bit sweet. (I know, the horror!) But more than that, I want my cornbread to be soft, tender, and above all moist, moist, moist. Dry cornbread is a total disgrace.
I've been tweaking one recipe for the past few years, switching up milk for buttermilk, sugar for syrup, and varying the other ingredients as well. It seems I can never leave well enough alone. That said, this recipe—which includes a can of creamed-style corn—is probably my favorite variation yet. The creamed corn adds some lovely specks of color, a bit of extra sweetness, and all the moistness you could ever need.
Serve this recipe with a hearty bowl of chili, soup, or like I did—with a steaming bowl of red beans and rice. This cornbread is easy to whip up any night of the week, but also delicious enough to appear at all of your fall and winter holiday celebrations. Start by making it tonight.
What about you? What's your secret to perfect cornbread?
Skillet Cornbread with Creamed Corn
Serves 8 - 101 1/4 cup plain cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1-3 tablespoons sugar (see Note)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
1 (14.75 ounce) can creamed-style corn
Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease a 10" cast iron skillet or medium baking dish.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, melted butter, and creamed corn. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just incorporated.
Pour the batter into the prepared skillet and smooth the top. Bake until cornbread is golden yellow, about 17 to 21 minutes. (I like to pull it out on the early side so that it doesn't overcook or dry out.) Remove from the oven and cool completely. Serve with extra butter and hot soup.
Note: If you don't like any sweetness in your cornbread, use just 1 tablespoon of sugar (you need a little bit to balance out the flavors). If you love sweet cornbread, add up to 3 tablespoons.
Related: How To Make Moist Cornbread
(Images: Nealey Dozier)
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I just wanted to mention something often overlooked. 1) It's ideal as a "muffin" for leftovers, packed lunches, and portion control. and 2) Cornbread freezes VERY well. I just take it out of the freezer and pop it in the toaster oven. This is great when i've got a 9-hr work day, need to make time to exercise, and then have to deal with dinner. A big pot of Veggie Chili (i like the rachael ray veg-head 3-bean chili) goes a long way and the cornbread is already ready!
I love sweeter corn bread too, I am going to try this recipe asap!
What size skillet did you use? Would a 12" be ok for this?
I have an almost identical recipe from an old gooseberry patch muffin cookbook, their version adds a handful of cheese and chopped bacon. Cook in muffin tins at 375 for 22 minutes. These have my kids devouring their soup because they know they can have seconds on muffins when they've polished off their soup.
We love cornbread and second earlier posters about it not only freezing beautifully but also allowing itself to endless variations. We make ours either in a cast iron skillet or in a 8x8 baking pan.
@Rarebit - a 10" skillet is best, but I think you could still make it in a 12" if that's what you have. The cornbread will probably be a little thinner and cook more quickly, just FYI.
Never met a cornbread I didn't like! This is precisely the recipe I use to make cornsticks for our annual family reunion. (handed down from g-ma) I find the creamed corn sweet enough, so shen making it for 'just us' I f skip the sugar. I also omit the butter & add a drizzle or two of bacon grease & some buttermilk. If the bacon grease bit sent some over the edge, ya night wanna stop reading now..
My hands down fave cornbread is FRIED. Love those crispies! What can I say? Southern born & bred here. It's in my blood. However I make it, it's always in cast iron & when making extra for the freezer I use my cast iron cornstick pans as the sticks take up less room.
@ Nealey: how's about a *cornbread week" here to accompany all these soups & stews? =]
Argh, I want to make this soon but don't have creamed corn on hand - what could I substitute back in to make more moistness and sweetness?
This is the second recipe of yours that is near-identical to my mother's version - LOVE IT! Sweet (Northern) cornbread is the best thing in the world. I didn't realize anything else existed till my family moved to the South my last year of high school - that was a very unpleasant surprise, even as potluck surprises go!
@slis01 - If you don't have creamed corn, substitute 1 cup buttermilk (I prefer whole) for the creamed corn, and reduce the cornmeal to 1 cup.
I am not a fan of cornbread usually but I love the skillet spoon bread from Dante's Kitchen in New Orleans. Here is the recipe:
http://www.nola.com/food/index.ssf/2011/05/dantes_kitchen_spoonbread.html
Honey! Use honey instead of regular sugar and melt it with the butter.
Hi. In our very much breast-pounding-Southern family, we all cheated and added honey instead of sugar. The other thing we do is take the skillet and super heat it at 400 while the rest of the recipe is being made. Heat the skillet with some butter or oil and a few tablespoons of cornmeal. When the wet mix hits that hot buttered pan, it starts to sizzle and the cornbread comes out with a lovely crunchy edge, a crisp like bottom and is moist because of using honey instead of sugar.
We just had that last night and finished it off for breakfast. The honey helps it hold the moisture in the leftovers too.
Thanks for the great recipes!
@ Curiously Watching : I always pre-heat my skillet as well, love the crunchy & crispy result. Now please do tell me the purpose of the added tablespoons of cornmeal. You've got me curiously watching this thread (sorry, couldn't resist). Thanks.
I've been adding canned creamed corn to my cornbread for so long that it's pure habit; I don't like making it without, and in a pinch I've pureed a cup of frozen sweet corn with the liquid used in the cornbread recipe when I don't happen to have the cans on hand. When I make cornbread for a party or gathering, everyone wants to know how I get it so moist. Such a simple solution!!
If you have frozen corn on hand, puree a cup of it with the liquid from the recipe. I do that all the time. Works great!
If you live anywhere that self-rising cornmeal mix is sold, buy it. It is the perfect blend of cornmeal, flour, leavening and salt. The most important thing about making cornbread is to make the batter creamy and pourable, like pancake batter. Dry clumpy batter, makes dry cornbread. Using a bigger skillet is a great idea, then you get a better ratio of crust to soft insides. Bake a few minutes less. Also flip out the cornbread, crust side up, onto a platter and serve so the crust stays crisp. Otherwise it will steam and get soft. It's all about the crust.
@discerning:
Oh, my GAWD!!! discerning, thanks for the idea of subbing in bacon fat for the butter. I'm just about to drown in drool, and I might even go whole hog (pun? me? never...) and add some crumbled crispy bacon. I've just GOT to do this on Saturday.