Recipes: Corn Bread Variations

There are as many different ways to make corn bread as there are different kinds of corn meal. Here are two recipes that work well with yellow or white corn meal.

Hot just-out-of-the-oven corn bread is always a crowd-pleaser. These two variations go well with black-eyed peas or black bean and butternut squash stew.

Green Chile Cheddar Cheese Corn Bread

• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup diced green chiles (drained, if using canned chiles)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. While it is heating, put 1/4 cup vegetable shortening in a 9 or 10-inch cast iron skillet. Put the skillet in the oven to melt the shortening.
3. Beat two eggs with a fork in a small bowl.
4. Add milk and mix well.
5. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt.
6. Stir in egg mixture, cheese and green chiles. Blend, but be careful not to over beat.
7. Remove skillet from oven and tilt and turn it so melted shortening greases bottom and sides. Pour excess oil into corn bread batter and stir.
8. Pour batter into skillet and return to oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and turn corn bread over in skillet to cool a little before serving.

A 9x9x2-inch baking dish may be used lieu of the skillet: the method is the same. Vegetable oil also could be substituted for the shortening. Add it to the egg mixture and grease the pan with either shortening or vegetable oil spray.

Spoon Bread—a Fluffier, Richer Cousin to Corn Bread

• 2 cups cornmeal
• 2 1/2 cups boiling water
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 c milk

Directions:

1. Place cornmeal in a large bowl and pour the boiling water over the top. Stir until it has the consistency of a thick mush.
2. Slice the butter into 4 or 5 pieces and stir into the mush to melt it. Then set the bowl aside to cool.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. In a small bowl, beat the eggs well, add the milk and baking powder and beat till well blended.
5. When mush is cool enough to touch, pour in the egg mixture and beat again. If the mush is too hot, it will start to cook the egg whites, so be sure to let it cool adequately.
6. Grease a 9x9x2-inch baking dish.
7. Pour in spoon bread mixture and bake for an hour or until the bread is fairly firm—it shouldn’t wiggle when the pan is jiggled.
8. Spoon on to plates to serve, and be liberal with the butter.
9. Serves 8 to 10 people.

Spoon bread is especially good with hot black-eyed peas. Spoon the bread into a bowl and pour the peas on top.

Spoon Bread

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