Name: BHM Virtual Potluck + Skillet Cornbread
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients: 3 cups, yellow corn meal; 1 1/2 sticks, unsalted butter; 2 1/2 cups, buttermilk; 3 eggs; 2 tbsp, baking powder; 2 tbsp, bacon fat (you can also use butter); 3/4 tsp, baking soda; 1 tsp, salt (I prefer sea salt)

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This skillet cornbread is true to its Southern roots; rich, decadent, warm and buttery. Grab your skillet and make this cornbread to accompany your next dinner.

Can you believe we’re already in month two of 2017??? I feel like it was just yesterday that I was putting up my Christmas tree and decking all the halls, y’all. The year of 2016 was quite a year for me and I am so pumped to crush it this year by working hard on all of my goals.

I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate the month of February than with this special post. It’s the first day of Black History Month and I’ve teamed up with 27 amazing and insanely talented black food bloggers from all over the world to bring you delicious and soulful dishes every day this month for a Black History Month Virtual Potluck. For each day of the month, a black food blogger will showcase one of their favorite dishes with deep-rooted ties to black culture. From African to Creole, Caribbean to Southern; there is something for everybody. Each blogger will be contributing their very own recipe in the categories of meat, seafood, and vegetarian entrees, beverages, and desserts. I’ll have a full list of all of their recipes below so be sure to check them out!

I’m sharing this special skillet cornbread because when I think of culturally known Southern food, cornbread comes to mind. And no, we’re not talking about that boxed stuff either! Skillet cornbread is one of my favorite side dishes. Some like their cornbread sweet and some like their cornbread savory. I decided to leave the sweetness out of this recipe and the flavor and richness is unbelievable!

If there is anything I love more than this cornbread, it’s skillet cornbread. Maybe it’s just me, but there’s something about a nice cast iron skillet that just makes you feel like your food is gonna come out even better. And this skillet cornbread is no exception.

There are some basic cardinal rules for cornbread; crisp edges, buttery, moist, and flavorful. I mean, who wants some dry, distasteful, and bland cornbread? Not me and I’m willing to bet not you either. I start out by pre-heating my cast iron skillet in the oven with some bacon fat. The bacon fat adds some richness and flavor. With a pre-heated skillet, this ensures those crispy outer edges and that signature crunch on the outside of skillet cornbread. Once the skillet is nice and hot, with careful hands, you pour the cornbread mixture into the skillet and watch it sizzle.

Let it bake up and I dare you not to peak in the oven while it’s cooking. You’ll smell that mouthwatering aroma and if you’re anything like me, you’ll try to eat it while it’s piping hot. Ha! When the skillet cornbread is done, take it out of the oven and immediately give it a nice butter bath. What? That’s a thing around these parts- butter be ready, remember? At this point you’ll want to grab a slice asap but because I care about you, I have to tell you to please let it cool down some before eating. I know, I know.

I hope you enjoy, friends. Happy Black History Month ✊

BHM Virtual Potluck + Skillet Cornbread

Author: Quin
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 40 mins
Yield: 10-12 1x

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Description

This skillet cornbread is true to its Southern roots; rich, decadent, warm and buttery. Grab your skillet and make this cornbread to accompany your next dinner.

Ingredients

Scale

3 cups, yellow corn meal
1 1/2 sticks, unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups, buttermilk
3 eggs
2 tbsp, baking powder
2 tbsp, bacon fat (you can also use butter)
3/4 tsp, baking soda
1 tsp, salt (I prefer sea salt)

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 375°F.
Cook bacon in oven or on stove and reserve 2 tbsp of bacon fat (you can also use melted butter).
When the oven is pre-heated, place your skillet (10in) into the oven while you prepare cornbread mixture.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs and pour in the buttermilk and whisk until well combined.
In a separate bowl, combine corn meal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients and stir well.
Open the oven and carefully pull rack out with cast iron skillet on top and add bacon fat/butter directly onto skillet. Be sure skillet is full coated.
Carefully add cornbread mixture to skillet and smooth out batter in skillet. The batter will sizzle when it hits the hot skillet.
Bake cornbread for about 30 minutes and enjoy warm with butter.

Category: Appetizer
Cuisine: Southern