Need a really good southern corn bread recipe
 

I may be from Michigan but my roots are in the south and I learned to cook from my dear MIL who lived in the Arkansas Ozarks.... good cooking.... down home cooking. But, her cornbread is made with white corn meal and not a speck of sugar.

My favorite cornbread is the yellow variety and it's sweet. My DH calls it Johnny Cake but I love it. The best I ever had was from a BBQ stand in Port St. Joe, Fla. Their greens were to die for, too.

But I want a really great cornbread recipe that's like that awesome Johnny Cake in Fla. Does anyone have that good southern recipe that I can have...... ????

jiffy corn bread mix. just add water and mix.. you can always add hot peppers for taste.etc

Jiffy corn bread mix really is the easiest way to go. And yummy to boot. The only recipe I have sucks. And I hate that cuz I love corn bread but have sworn off flour/sugar. Looking for a recipe with corn meal that I can substitute the sugar.

Are you able to purchase Quaker yellow corn meal ? The recipe on the box has been on there since 1950 that I know of. It is sweet and good and I have won ribbons at fairs on it. Good luck. We add halipinios and sometimes crawfish to it. Yummy ! Hugs

My all time favorite from the Dinosaur BBQ. About as yankee as you can get but the recipe's roots are southern.

Honey Hush Cornbread</SPAN></SPAN>
(Recipe from Dinosaur BBQ)</SPAN></SPAN>
Dry stuff</SPAN></SPAN>
1 ¼ cups cornmeal, </SPAN></SPAN>
¼ cup sugar, </SPAN></SPAN>
¾ flour, </SPAN></SPAN>
1 ½ tsp. baking powder, </SPAN></SPAN>
½ tsp. baking soda, </SPAN></SPAN>
1 tsp kosher salt, </SPAN></SPAN>

Wet stuff</SPAN></SPAN>
1 cup buttermilk </SPAN></SPAN>
2 eggs slightly beaten</SPAN></SPAN>
4 tablespoons melted butter (I’ve made it with only two and substituted 2 tblsp of nonfat plain yogurt for the other two and it was good, if you want to make with less fat)</SPAN></SPAN>
1 teaspoon vanilla</SPAN></SPAN>
1 to 2 tablespoons honey</SPAN></SPAN>

Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8 by 8 inch baking pan with shortening. Pop the pan in the oven to heat while you mix up the cornbread.</SPAN></SPAN>
Put mix in medium sized mixing bowl. Combine all wet ingredients EXCEPT HONEY and pour into the mix. Give them a good stir just until everything is moistened.</SPAN></SPAN>
Pull the hot greased pan from the oven and pour in the batter. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.</SPAN></SPAN>
Take the cornbread out of the oven and brush the top with the honey while it is still hot.</SPAN></SPAN>
Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan before cutting into squares and serving.</SPAN></SPAN>
Cheddar-Jalapeno Variation</SPAN></SPAN>
Make cornbread as above and stir in 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese and 1 to 2 medium size jalapeno peppers seeded and minced into the prepared batter. Increase bake time to 30 to 35 minutes and still glaze with honey as instructed above.</SPAN></SPAN>

Chips88 and NJQuilter, I've had Jiffy cornbread many times. The Jiffy mill is only 15 miles away when we're down state in the winter. Some of my SIL's family works there. It's good cornbread but not the 'to die for' taste I'm looking for. Maybe adding jalapenos would help. I may try that.

Omacookie and feline fanatic--- these look promising. I'll give them both a try.

Thanks to all of you...... I'll get that perfect cornbread.... I know it.

Ladies! I beg to disagree with you! Real Southern Cornbread does NOT have any sugar in it. Jiffy does!
Try This, I think it comes on the back of Martha White Cornmeal. Not the Cornmeal Mix!
Cornbread
Preheat a seasoned 8" iron skillet as your oven preheats to 450 degrees.
Mix together 2 cups Martha White Cornmeal, 1 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. baking soda, 1 egg, and 3/4-7/8 c. of buttermilk.
Remove skillet from hot oven carefully, put 1/4 c. bacon grease or cooking oil into skillet, then pour all but a tablespoon of hot grease into cornbread mixture, stir. Sprinkle a tablespoon or so of fresh cornmeal into skillet to cover bottom of skillet and up sides. Pour cornbread mixture into skillet. Cook for 18-20 minutes. ENJOY!

I buy a regular size corn bread mix and make according to directions then add a jiffy yellow cake mix to tne mixture tastes yummy

I agree.. true southern cornbread is NOT sweet..
I prefer a course ground cornmeal. I use no flour and buttermilk is a must
A cast iron skillet is the preferred pan as well.. preheat the skillet ( @ Tablespoon or two of oil in the skillet , until it is nice and hot and pour oil into the the batter and the batter into the hot pan.

For ease and good taste, I vote Jiffy also!! Pretty much the only thing I can find in AZ.

This brings back childhood memories...

My Mom, who was from MN, used to make us 'johnny cake' for breakfast. She poured warm milk over it so we would have a hot breakfast before school. That absolutely ruined it...soggy bread - YUCK! I could not convince her that I hated to eat it soggy, would have preferred a glass of milk with it, not on it. Nope, we had to have a hot breakfast, whether we liked it or not. Those were the 'good old days' when kids ate what was on the table or went hungry. I think I would have preferred to go hungry, but that wasn't going to happen on her watch! :rolleyes:

Ever since then, I don't like corn bread. My siblings liked it, so it must have been good. But you will never get a recipe for corn bread of any kind from me!

I had to smile when I saw the first two postings said use Jiffy Cornbread mix...because that is exactly what I was going to say. (I grew up about 1 1/2 hours from Port St. Joe. I LOVE greens and cornbread!!!) I used to feel guilty about using a mix until a friend, also from North Florida, told me this story. After she married she did her best to make her husband cornbread that was as good has his mother made, and she could not come up with a recipe that he declared "as good as Mama's". So one day she asked her mother-in-law for her cornbread recipe. To her surprise...use a box of Jiffy Cornbread mix! Even good ole Southern Mama's use it! :)

As Ms.LAG.R.I.T.S pointed out, my Virginian mama would DIE before using yellow cornmeal. In her mind (and her mamaw's, her mama's and all 6 of her sisters) yellow cornmeal is "poor people food". I guess this came from some time "back in the day" when yellow cornmeal was less expensive and white was saved for company. They all use white cornmeal and NO SUGAR!! Personally, I was born a Yankee so I'm on the Jiffy bandwagon.

I make sage dressing with baked Jiffy cornbread, oh...so...good.

The following recipe was handed down to me from my grandmother. I make this scratch cornbread all the time and it's very good....

Mommie's Cornbread

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup plain flour
1/4 cup sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup cooking oil

Preheat oven 425 degrees.

Mix cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together. Add hand beaten egg, milk and cooking oil and mix well. Pour in greased 9 inch baking pan.

Bake for 18 minutes or until top is golden brown.

My favorite recipe is from a friend from KY. 1 cup cornmeal, about 3/4 cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking soda. Stir this together. Add up to 1 tbsp sugar or none at all. We prefer brown sugar. Beat an egg and add it. Stir in buttermilk until it looks good. Usually 3/4 to 1 cup. I don;t measure it. Preheat an iron skillet in the oven at 375. Add some bacon grease or butter. Pour in batter, bake about 22 to 25 minutes. Test with a toothpick.
I have also made it substituting cornmeal for the flour because I was out.

Like some have said, no sugar in ours. This is my recipe that came from a home-town cookbook MANY years ago and it does call for sugar, which we omit.
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 1/2 T. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 egg
1/2 cup milk(I use condensed milk + a little water)
1/8 c. melted shortening (I use oil)
Stir until dry ingredients are dampened. Pour into greased baking pan. Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes.
(I quadruple this recipe and place oil and dry cornmeal in two large iron skillets...heat and pour batter in. After cooled, I cut and place dinner sized helpings in freezer bags.......works great for me. No hot oven every time...just 'nuke' what you need from freezer!)

I just use the Jiffy mix. I've tried the others and scratch recipes. I do add a tab of butter into the mix. If I don't have biscuits in the house, When I've fixed sausage gravy, I've substituted cornbread instead of biscuits. DH likes eggs sunny side up on the side.

There are recipes for cornbread? I grew up just putting stuff in the bowl until it looks right. True Southern cornbread always uses white cornmeal, preferably Martha White and buttermilk. And usually you melt butter or shortening in the cast iron skillet before baking so you get a nice crispy crust. I remember my Grandpa eating leftovers crumbled in a glass with buttermilk. We loved spending the night because we would also get chocolate gravy for breakfast. Check out http://southernplate.com for some authentic Southern recipes.

From The Southern Lady Cooks (my favorite southern cook) Southern cornbread goes with anything. Hot cornbread muffins straight from the oven just can’t be beat. 2 cups self-rising white cornmeal
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup self rising flour
2 eggs
bacon grease
cooking spray
In a large bowl mix cornmeal, flour, eggs and buttermilk with a spoon. Spray a 12 cup muffin tin, then add about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon bacon grease to each cup. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Put muffin pan in oven until grease is hot in cups, then fill each cup about 3/4 full of cornmeal mixture. Bake 30 minutes until muffins are golden brown.
These are wonderful with lots of butter while still hot. You can leave out the bacon grease and just spray the muffin tin but if you want southern cornbread muffins add the grease! Enjoy! http://thesouthernladycooks.com/2009...bread-muffins/

You are right, southern cornbread is not sweet. I call sweet cornbread "Yankee" cornbread. My mother always baked hers in an iron skillet and bacon grease was a must have ingredient. Oh for the good old days (of not thinking about choesterol, etc.)

Yes, I know that 'real southern cornbread' doesn't have sugar.... and is made with white cornmeal.... in an iron skillet with bacon drippings. I do all that... the DMIL taught me and the DH agrees it is best.

But I like the sweet, almost cakelike yankee variety..... and now I have a lot of different ways to try making it...... Thanks you all.

Dang, now I have to make some cornbread this weekend. One of my favorites and gotta have pinto beans and ham with it! I also throw mine together, using coarse grind cornmeal and a hot cast iron skillet.

White cornmeal is naturally sweeter than yellow. Silver queen sweet corn is much sweeter than yellow - same applies for the cornmeal.

I also never add sugar to mine, but my SIL does. The first time she made cornbread for my brother, he called our mom almost in tears because "Bonnie put SUGAR in her cornbread!!!" My mom told him to shut up and eat it. I thought I would laugh myself to death when I heard her tell him that! From that day forward, she makes a small batch with sugar for her and plain for him. LOL!

Southern Cornbread
 

I'm from the SOUTH, and I was raised on cornbread made with YELLOW cornmeal and buttermilk. I can't think of cornbread made with white cornmeal as cornbread... My Mother put a pinch of sugar in it, but I don't. I prefer that my cornbread not have any sweet taste to it. AND, I bake mine in an iron skillet.

Recently I found a really great recipe for a cornbread that has ham, cheese, onions, and other ingredients in it, and before you pour it into your iron skillet, you lay strips of bacon in the pan. If anyone is interested, I can post it. It is almost like a meal in itself.

I was born and grew up in Louisiana. This is the way my mother taught me to make Corn Bread. The only changes I've made to her recipe is she always used about 1/2 tsp baking soda, but I don't like that taste so I leave it out.
Corn Bread
1 ½ cups cornmeal (stone ground is best)
½ cup all purpose flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
1TBSP Baking Powder
1 tsp. salt
¼ cup cooking oil
Buttermilk

1. Directions for Cornbread: Preheat oven to 425-degrees. Combine the above ingredients, adding enough buttermilk to make the mixture look like wet concrete (this is the way my mother taught me). Stir it all together and pour into hot prepared skillet. Place in preheated oven and bake until golden brown on top (about 25 minutes). Turn out onto a plate and enjoy with butter!

2. Preparing Skillet: Heat cast iron skillet on top of stove. Add enough oil (about 2 TBSP) to cover the bottom and sprinkle in a little cornmeal to cover the bottom (this makes a nice crust and helps keeps it from sticking).

Note: This is not Rocket Science and can be altered and still get great results. I often make a small skillet by reducing everything in proportion, but still use a whole egg and it turns out great!

Sounds wonderful and I would love the recipe. Of course, a pan of good cornbread and any fresh vegetable is a meal!

I use Aunt Jemima Self-rising Buttermilk Corn Meal and follow the recipe on the package. I use buttermilk instead of regular milk, add dehydrated onions and NEVER add sugar. It's a family favorite.

That Jiffy Mix is awful (has tooo much sugar).
I'm with you NO SUGAR in my cornbread.

I use the cornbread mix recipe on the label.
Buttermilk makes it fluffier.
Add a little flour too.

I do like mine with a little sugar. I will definitely have to try the buttermilk. I always use the cast iron skillet. It makes the crust so much better.

I don't mind a little sugar but I tried Jiffy and it was like cake! did NOT go well with beans!

I have an easy one. Buy any brand cornbread MIX and any brand self rising FLOUR. I use one cup of cornbread mix to 3/4 cup self rising flour. Add one egg and buttermilk until it's the right consistency and pour into hot iron skillet with a little bacon grease or olive oil. Bake at 450. I hate crumbly cornbread. Mine is almost cake like but NOT SWEET.

Now this is cornbread.....right down to the bacon grease. Going to have some for dinner tomorrow with a good old pan of black eyed peas and ham...Hugs

I thought I was the only one to eat cornbread and gravy. DottieBug {I've tried to tell everyone what they are missing}

Maybe you are referring to corn light bread, it is a sweet compact bread.

Easy Southern Cornbread

1 1/2 cups Martha White Self Rising Cornmeal (white)
1/2 cup Self Rising Flour ( I purchase whatever is on sale)
2 whole eggs
2 TBSP of oil ( I use vegetable oil if I do not have bacon drippings)
Buttermilk - add small amounts until you have the right consistency

Heat oven to 450 degrees.
Put oil or bacon drippings in cast iron skillet ( I use an 8 " or 10") and make sure bottom is generously covered so
there will be no sticking of the cornbread.
...If you want crisp crust then put skillet in oven to heat; if you want a soft crust do not.
Sift the corn meal and flour together after it is measured. (I sift twice and this gives a fluffier cornbread.)
Add the eggs.
Add the oil.
Add the buttermilk in small amounts until you have the consistency needed.
Add mixture to skillet.
Watch until top is brown and firm--time depends on your oven. (usually 20-25 minutes)

Enjoy.

Isn't the sugar for browning purposes any way? Sounds like I need to try some cornbread. My husband loves cornbread and always ask me to make cornbread stuffing.

mmmmm, good, my dad was from Mississippi and my grandmother and my dad made cornbread with white cornmeal and buttermilk and cooked in a cast iron skillet, I would cut it up in a glass of milk

I like the Pioneer Woman's recipes, here's two:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/r...ipe/index.html
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/r...ipe/index.html

I have used this recipe for at least 40 years. It came off the Aunt Jemima cornmeal bag.

Mammy's Sourthern Cornbread

2 1/2 c. cornmeal
1 1/2 t. soda
1 t. salt
2 eggs
2 1/4 c. buttermilk
2 T. butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a 10-inch iron skillet with Crisco and place it in the oven. Combine cornmeal, soda and salt. Beat eggs and stir in buttermilk. Add liquid to cornmeal. Beat to blend. Pour batter into hot skillet--it should sizzle. Dot top with butter. Bake 20 to 25 minutes.

Placing it in the hot skillet makes a nice brown crust--You might want to broil the top for just a few seconds to brown the top, but usually it is slightly brown when baked. Cut in pie wedges and serve with pinto beans and ham, chili, or any Southern dish. Let your guests slather as much butter on their serving as they desire.

I use Krusteaz Fat Free Honey Cornbread Mix (just add water). Delicious! Their web site is www.krusteaz.com
Enjoy!