I mentioned that I’d post about a skillet cornbread days ago. My bad and apologies (especially to my Sis who I kinda/sorta told it would be up already). Time escapes me. I’m working on a sweet project right now that I’ll be sharing on the 23rd and am feeling a bit behind in my progress towards completing my task at hand…stay tuned!
There is cornbread and then there is cornbread. This is certainly the latter. What sets the two apart?
- First: It’s homemade (no boxes here!).
- Second: The use of low-fat buttermilk and addition of some sweet corn.
- Third: The addition of cheese and possibility of kickin’ it up several notches with some chopped up jalapeño.
- Fourth: What the butter does to the exterior of this bread.
- The real reason that sets this cornbread apart is baking it in a cast-iron skillet.
Now wait a minute all you veteran cast-iron skillet users! I know it’s not a new method of doing things with this treasure of a heavier than thou pan…but it is new to me and I LOVE IT! I can’t wait to add a couple more skillet sizes to my kitchen {non-subtle hint to Hubbs}.
So besides the novelty of baking this cornbread in a skillet, what makes it more special? You start off by placing the butter in the skillet and transferring it to the oven to melt. You’re not brown-buttering it, but as soon as it melts, you remove it from the oven and pour the batter into the skillet. This pushes some of the butter to the top (are you visualizing this?). While the cornbread is baking, the butter caramelizes on the top, creating a beautiful golden color crust. The rustic bread is moist, but has a fantastic textured exterior due to that butter and the evenness that the skillet promotes. The aroma and flavor of the butter on the top, bottom and sides of the bread is reminiscent of that nuttiness and richness of brown-butter. Last, but not least, the sweetness and texture of the corn you use in the bread and the cheesy surprise throughout the bread are the additional treats.
This will be my go-to recipe from now on for cornbread. How can it get any better?
- Added 1/2 cup frozen sweet corn to batter.
- You can use cheddar or sharp cheddar. As another variation I used Colby-Jack cheese.
- Want a bit of a kick to this cornbread? Add some canned or fresh jalapeños to the batter for a spicy kick!
- This recipe is for use with a 9-inch cast-iron skillet OR you can use an 8-inch square metal pan.
- I didn’t have a 9-inch cast iron skillet so an 8-inch cast-iron skillet was used instead. Fill batter up to 2/3 of the skillet and reserve the rest of the batter to make 4 regular sized muffins (For the muffins: Lower oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake for about 15-17 minutes). Note: I did not add butter to the muffin-sized portions and they tasted fine, just minus the nutty-buttery flavor.
Serves 6
Skillet or Baking Pan: Use either a 9-inch cast iron skillet, or an 8-inch metal baking pan. See my notes above if an 8-inch cast iron skillet is your only option.
1 cup all-purpose flour, leveled
1 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup shredded cheddar, sharp cheddar or Colby-Jack cheese (about 4 ounces)
1/2 cup frozen sweet corn
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, salt and pepper. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add buttermilk and eggs to well and whisk to incorporate. Gently fold in the cheese and frozen corn. Set aside and let the batter rest.
Place butter in a 9-inch cast-iron skillet. Allow butter to melt and remove immediately from oven. Tilt and rotate the pan to evenly distribute and coat the bottom and sides of the pan.
Pour batter into prepared buttered skillet and bake until the top is golden brown (there will be some caramelization). Test doneness by inserting toothpick in center and it comes out clean – about 20-25 minutes. Let the cornbread cool in the skillet AT LEAST 15 minutes before cutting to serve.
Wrap cooled leftovers in air-tight container or plastic wrap for up to one day.
Have a great week…and please don’t forget to stop by on Thursday, the 23rd for a post about a sweet treat!
On another note: I created a newer profile on LinkedIn more related to my food photography and the Teenie Cakes site. If you’re already following me through other social media means or would like to start…please either send me a message through my contact form or send me a DM (direct message) through Twitter with details of how I can find you on LinkedIn so we can “connect” there too! :)
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
Skillet cornbread is killer. Simply put – killer. And the addition of cheese…. oh my heaven that sounds great.
what a delicious sounding cornbread! i love that it is cooked in a skillet :)
Wow this sounds and looks sooooo good!! I wish I had a big slice right now. You got me with the addition with the sweet corn but the brown butter caramelizing the top is making me drool! Yum!!
You may want to edit the second paragraph under Directions. I think it should read “Place BUTTER in…” instead of “Place BATTER in…” I’d hate for someone to dump their batter in there before reading the rest of the instructions and miss out on the buttery goodness!
Thanks for the catch, Lisa! That would be a big misfortune to miss out on that buttery deliciousness. Geesh, what a word for me to get mixed up on.
On another “ironic” note: I was just mentioning to my Hubbs how I read on someone’s resume that they listed they were a “writter” (instead of writer) — ugh! What a typo…and then on your resume?
Guess I spoke too soon about typos. :)
Cristina, that last photo of the cornbread just puffing up so perfectly in the skillet – oh my oh my! I love the idea of dropping the butter into the hot pan before adding the batter – I will definitely give this a try!
Oh my, I am definitely for adding Jalapeno on this! I can almost taste the abundance of cheese on this beautiful creation of yours. Another winner and this is a must share, Cristina! I hope you’re having a wonderful week.
~ ray ~
What a great cornbread recipe. I love the idea of baking it in a skillet, and have to try it with the jalapenos. Your cornbread looks photolicious.
Wow Cristina, this looks really, really good! I have to admit I have only made cornbread from box…and they easy break it for some reason (I follow directions precisely since I’m not a baker and have no idea to adapt). This one seems it won’t break into crumbs. I’d love to keep this recipe and try it next time I make cornbread. I have the same skillet so it’ll be different cooking method and it’ll be fun!
I want a skillet myself, so many meals to make. This looks fab.
I just bought a cast iron skillet and am so excited to see this recipe!! espeically with all that CHEESE!
I love corn bread and always put corn kernals in it. Makes it about 100 times better than not adding them. I am imagining the cheese ups the goodness factor another 100 times. Great recipe!
I can certainly see why this is now your go to recipe. It does look amazing and I am sure with all the goodies you put in there, it disappeared quite quickly! Also this post has some great tips on how to go from ordinary to extraordinary when it comes to making cornbread. Great post!
I’ve never made a baked item in a skillet and I NEED TO!
I just gobbled up the last of the cornbread I made recently… but now I want more, specifically yours! This looks wonderful, Cristina. Love that you used cheese and frozen corn, too. Yum!
That cornbread looks devine!!
I like to try baking it in a cast-iron skillet too. It looks delicious! =)