Cast Iron Southern Cornbread
I think when they invented the cast iron skillet they knew it was for baking Cast Iron Southern Cornbread! This is really the only way to cook cornbread, and this recipe is perfect for cooking outdoors on the BBQ.
If you don’t have a cast-iron skillet here is the perfect excuse to run out and pick one up; it really is a necessity and everyone should have one!
What is the best pan to cook cornbread?
Well, you can bake cornbread in just about any pan but for me, the best pan to make homemade cornbread is a cast iron skillet! Our cast iron pan is at least 25 years old and is perfectly seasoned so that just about everything we cook in it turns out amazing.
I have made cornbread in a baking pan, in regular size muffin tins and even in mini-muffin tins. In fact, you can make mini corndogs of a sort and they are outstanding!
How do you make Southern cornbread from scratch?
First, you will need to roast your jalapenos, place them on the grill and allow the skins to turn black, turning as needed so that most of the skin is blackened and roasted. Take them off the grill and seal them hot, in a small ziplock bag for 10 minutes.
The outer skins should peel right off. This can be done well ahead of time and you can cover and refrigerate the peeled pepper for up to 24 hours.
When you are ready, preheating your grill to between 375 and 400 degrees F. Mix the milk and the cornmeal together in a medium mixing bowl and set aside for 5 minutes. In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
Stir in the egg and melted butter to the milk mixture. Then add the liquid to the dry ingredients as well as the jalapenos and the 1/2 cup of cheese. Stir the cornmeal mixture until it is just combined, your batter should still be a little lumpy.
Some people like to add kernels of corn to their cornbread but I think that with the jalapenos and cheese there is enough going on in this recipe!
ingredients
- Cornmeal
- Buttermilk
- Milk
- Flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Sugar
- Egg
- Roasted jalapeno
- Aged cheddar
- Butter
Why is cornbread popular in the South?
Cornbread is especially popular in the south because it is easy to make. It also has only a few ingredients that were relatively easy to access in the 1800s.
Corn was plentiful and easy to grow and the cornbread or “quick bread” recipe required only a small amount of sugar and no yeast. Cornbread uses sour milk and baking powder or baking soda to rise.
How to Bake Your Cornbread
You could put the skillet in the oven and cook your cornbread, but I prefer to cook outdoors whenever I can!
Heat the cast iron skillet on the grill until it is hot. Once you have a hot skillet add the butter and wait for it to melt, you could use vegetable oil or even bacon grease, but I like to use butter.
Pour the batter into the hot skillet and spread the batter so it is even. You can shake the skillet to get the same result; just remember it is very hot, so make sure you use oven mitts!!
Keep the lid closed and maintain the temperature to ensure that your cornbread cooks properly. Cook the cornbread using the indirect method so that it will cook evenly and not burn the bottom. Your cornbread is done when it is firm in the middle and is lightly golden brown around the edges.
What do Southerners eat with cornbread?
Cornbread goes perfectly with fried food, so one of the obvious choices to pair with cornbread is fried chicken. A few other pairings would include baked beans or one of my favorites chili. In reality, cornbread can be served in place of regular bread or rolls anytime you are dining.
The sweet taste of cornbread is so good. Often times I will simply spread some butter on a warm slice and enjoy it.
This is a really simple and straight forward southern cornbread recipe. You can take a short cut if you want and use a cornmeal mix. My daughter loves cornbread so much she sometimes resorts to this method, but you don’t get the taste of real cornbread made from scratch!
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!
Cast Iron Southern Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 3 Tbsp roasted jalapenos finely diced
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup aged cheddar grated
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup butter melted plus 2 Tbsp for the skillet
Instructions
- Roast the jalapenos on your grill turning to ensure they are blackened on all sides.
- Place the hot blacken jalapenos in a small ziplock and allow them to cool.
- Once they are cooled the skin should peel right off.
- Seed and finely dice the peppers and set aside.
- Preheat your grill to 375 - 400 degrees F.
- Mix the buttermilk and whole milk together with the cornmeal in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl.
- Lightly beat the egg and add it and the 1/4 cup melted butter to the milk mixture.
- Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients along with the diced roasted jalapenos and the grated cheese.
- Stir until just combine, your batter will still be a little lumpy
- Place the Cast Iron skillet on the preheated grill, add the 2 Tbsp of butter and allow to melt.
- Once the butter is melted pour the cornbread batter into the skillet.
- Spread the batter out so it is even in the pan, close the lid and cook using the indirect method. The cornbread is done when the middle is firm and it is lightly golden brown around the edges, about 35-40 minutes.
I made this last night to go with our smoked brisket! It was a huge hit. I don’t have a large cast iron pan so I just cooked it in a 9″ round cake pan in the oven and it turned out excellent. I actually made 3! One gluten free as I used almond flour. Thanks Ken and Happy Thanksgiving!
This cornbread was amazing. I do not have a large cast iron pan so I made it in a 9″ round cake pan and baked it in the oven. It was a huge hit and went so well with our smoked brisket and Tara’s Classic Macaroni and Cheese last night! Thank you Ken & Tara 🙂
Thanks Cheryl! Tara and I are really happy that you enjoyed everything!