Ooooh Corn Bread war! Let the battle begin!

(darfc)

Phyllis, Cornbread is a favourite here. My grandmother use to bake it just for me. But she called it Johnny Cake. I'm not sure if cornbread and chili is a regional thing, but I know that it isn't my first choice to have with chili. I prefer either tortillas or toast. But I have often been served cornbread on the side with Chili in a number of different states.

Here are my favourite recipes. The first two I use them interchangeably.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Cornbread Loaf
==============
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 eggs
6 tablespoons melted and cooled butter
8 tabelespoons melted and cooled vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cups milk
.

preheat the oven to 400. sift into a mixing bowl the cornmeal, flour,
sugar, salt and baking powder. Beat the eggs lightly, add the melted
butter and shortening, and stir in the 1 1/2 cups of milk. Pour into
the bowl of dry ingredients and beat together for about a minute, or
until smooth. Do not overbeat. Lightly butter an 8 x 12 inch shallow
baking pan and pour in the batter. Bake in the center of the oven for
about 30 minutes, or until the bread comes slightly away from the edge
of the pan and is golden brown. If you wish you make bake the
cornbread in a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan. increase the baking time to 45
minutes.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Cornbread Muffins
=================
I have a number of cornbread recipes
that I make but this is the most
tender,
melt in your mouth cornbread recipe
You can make it in muffin tins, loaf
pan
or a springform pan
1 egg
1/2 Cup melted butter
1/4 Cup vegetable oil
1 Cup milk, warmed
1 Cup cake flour
2/3 Cup yellow cornmeal
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons sugar
. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Beat the egg, melted butter and the oil
until well blended. Stir in the milk. In a separate bowl, blend the
cake flour with the cornmeal, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add to the
egg mixture and stir until just blended. This is a very light, loose
batter. Spoon into desired pan and bake until golden. If making muffins
this will take 15 to 20 minutes to bake. It will take longer in a loaf
pan or a springform pan.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Cheddar Cornbread with kernels and Chives
=========================================
Source: Newspaper recipe

1 ear of corn, roasted (I used canned corn)
1 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs separated
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup snipped chives
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 425°F

If using fresh corn, but the kernels off the cob.

Grease a 9 inch square pan.

Mix the cornmeal and milk together. Stir in egg yolks.

Beat Egg whites to soft peak stag.

Mix flour, sugar, salt and baking powder together.

Add flour mixture to the cornmeal mixture and stir in the butter. Add the chives and the corn. Fold the egg whites into the batter. Pour mixture into prepared pan and top with cheddar cheese. Bake for approximately 20 to 25 minutes until golden and cake pulls away from the sides of the pan. Serve warm.

Chili and cornbread is a classic here, too. Here is my favorite recipe:

Sundowner Cornbread
Adapted from the Complete Yogurt Cookbook, Karen Cross Whyte

3/4 cup yellow corn meal
1 cup unsifted flour
1/4 cup sugar (the original recipe calls for 1/2 cup)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup yogurt
1/4 cup milk
1 egg beaten
2 tablespoon butter

Mix all ingredients just enough to blend. Pour into greased 8 x 8 pan and bake in 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes.

If you want the sturdy type of cornbread, this isn't it! This is moist.

I also sometimes include a small can of diced Ortega green chilis.

Oh, yes. Melt the butter.

I spoon my chili over the cornbread and grate sharp cheddar on top :)

Cornbread (I prefer White Lily Cornmeal)

2 cups cornmeal
1 egg
1/4 cup oil
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Bake in a 8" square pan, 425 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.

Phyllis . . . here's my favorite Cornbread recipe . .
really good, and so importantly (!!) . . .really easy !!
It comes from a Taste of Georgia cookbook . .

Sweet Corn Muffins

450 Oven . . . 9 to 12 minutes
Yield : 1 1/2 dozen large muffins or 3 dozen small

1 C. all-purpose flour
1/2 C. yellow corn meal
1/2 C. sugar
1/2 C. butter, melted
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/2 C. milk
1/2 tsp. corn syrup ( I think I usually put in 1 tsp.)

1. Mix first six ingredients.
2. Combine eggs, milk, and syrup seperately.
3. Mix the flour mixture and the milk mixture together.
4. Grease muffin tins, or use papers, fill each cup half full . .
5. Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until brown.

A real favorite with our family . . . just a hint of sweetness . . .

AND . . .I love chili and cornbread together . . . in fact, I've adapted a recipe that DH used in Dutch Oven cooking for Boy Scouts . . .

I make my "famous" chile, then actually use two packs of Jiffy Corn Bread Mix, and spoon it on top of the chili, then bake it as long as the corn bread pkg. directions say.
Great stuff !! Very cold weather, and teenage boy friendly !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Corn bread with chili is very traditional anywhere chili is traditionally made with beans. Often chili is made with meat only in areas like Colorado cowboy country, west Texas etc.
The amino acids in corn and beans combine to form a complete protein and some how people seem to isntinctually know what works....
So in some places chili is traditionally served with corn tortillas or tostados and in other places, notably those where chili is not "hot", corn bread is traditional.
The term "Johnnycake" is a corruption of "journeycake" and used mostly on the east coast. The cornbread was mostly corn and water baked hard...no leavening, no wheat flour, no eggs...
And then there are hoe cakes and hush puppies, and Sally Lunn and spoon bread...
All the same but different
Linda C

MASTER RECIPE FOR Cooks
SOUTHERN-STYLE CORNBREAD
Makes one 8-inch skillet of bread

Unlike its sweet, cakey Northern counterpart, Southern cornbread is thin, crusty, and decidedly savory. Though some styles of Southern cornbread are dry and crumbly, I favor this dense, moist, tender version. Cornmeal mush of just the right texture (see illustrations 1 to 3, "Getting the Batter Just right," below) is essential to this bread. Though I prefer to make cornbread in a preheated cast-iron skillet, a 9-inch round cake pan or 9-inch square baking pan, greased lightly with butter and not preheated, will also produce acceptable results if you double the recipe and bake the bread for 25 minutes.

4 teaspoons bacon drippings or 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably stone ground
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup rapidly boiling water
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 large egg, beaten lightly

1. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Set 8-inch cast-iron skillet with bacon fat (or vegetable oil) in heating oven.
2. Measure 1/3 cup cornmeal into medium bowl. Mix remaining cornmeal, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in small bowl; set aside.
3. Pour boiling water all at once into the 1/3 cup cornmeal; stir to make a stiff mush. Whisk in buttermilk gradually, breaking up lumps until smooth, then whisk in egg. When oven is preheated and skillet very hot, stir dry ingredients into mush mixture until just moistened. Carefully remove skillet from oven. Pour hot bacon fat (or melted butter) into batter and stir to incorporate, then quickly pour batter into heated skillet. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and instantly turn cornbread onto wire rack; cool for 5 minutes, then serve immediately.

SOUTHERN-STYLE CORN STICKS
OR MUFFINS
Makes 12 corn sticks or 6 muffins

Corn stick pans have anywhere from seven to 12 molds. If your pan has fewer than 12 molds, bake the sticks in two batches. If you wish, you can
also follow these directions to make six muffins
using a heavy-gauge 6-muffin mold tin (each mold measuring 1/2 cup). If making muffins, bake for 20 minutes.
Follow Master Recipe for Southern-style Cornbread, heating heavy-gauge corn stick pan instead of cast-iron skillet. Omit fat from batter. When oven is heated, remove pan from oven and generously brush molds with 4 teaspoons bacon drippings or 4 teaspoons vegetable oil. Continue with recipe, filling molds almost to rim with batter. Bake until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes; turn corn sticks onto rack to cool. Wipe crumbs from molds, brush with more bacon fat or oil, and repeat baking process with remaining batter, if necessary.

Ann's cheddar corn bread with corn and chives is making me DROOL.

This is a whole different take on corn bread. I Have made these with chili and with soup and they are always a huge
hit.

Cornmeal Biscuits With Cheddar And Chipotle

1 Tbl unsalted butter
¾ Cup packed scallions (green onions)
1 ½ Cup all purpose flour
½ Cup yellow cornmeal
2 Tbl sugar
2 ½ Tsp baking powder
¾ Tsp Kosher salt (or regular)
½ Tsp baking soda
½ Cup chilled unsalted butter cut into ½
inch cubes (salted works fine)
1 ½ Cup(packed) coarsely grated extra sharp cheddar cheese (any cheddar would do)
1 lg egg
¾ Cup (about) buttermilk (can make your own with milk and vinegar)
1 Tbl finely minced canned chipotle in Adobo
1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp heavy cream (glaze) ( I didn't bother)

Position rack in center of the oven. Preheat to 425 F. Melt 1 tbsp butter in skillet over med heat. Add green onions and saute 2 min to soften slightly. Remove from heat.

Blend flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in processor. Add ½ cup butter, cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add cheese and chipolte ; cut in using on/off turns. Transfer flour mixture to large bowl.

Whisk 1 egg in glass measuring cup. Add enough buttermilk to egg to make 1 cup. Stir in green onion. Make well in center of dry ingredients. Pour buttermilk mixture into well, mix until evenly moistened. NOTE: I never have needed the full cup

Turn dough onto generously floured surface. Knead gently just until dough holds together, about 10 turns. Pat out on generously floured surface to ¾ inch thick round. Using a 3 inch cutter, cut out biscuits.
Transfer to ungreased baking sheet spacing 1 inch apart. Gather dough and pat into ¾ inch thick round, cut into remaining biscuits. Brush tops with glaze.

Bake until golden and tester inserted in center comes out clean and they feel firm, about 18 minutes. Cool on rack 5 minutes. Serve warm.

I know, Jessy, the discussion over johnny cakes versus cornbread has been raging for as long as I can remember! LOL

Thanks so much for all the great recipes. I was thinking, "she's never had cornbread with chili?!" before and wondered if I served it, if other people would be thinking, "What's this for?" LOL So now I know I'm not the only one!

I was thinking a southern-based recipe would be good because usually they're richer and everything, (I guess, LOL) but I do like the consistency of the "Northern" style - like a little golden pillow of sweetness. :) Almost like, dare I say it, how Boston Market serves theirs - I like it. Does anyone else think that's horrible? LOL

Now the hard part....picking the recipe! :D Are there some cornmeals that are considered 'better' than others? I guess it's all about preference....

I LOVE the combination of chili and cornbread, but when I make chili for a crowd, I often put out tortilla chips and saltine crackers along with the cornbread so people can choose their preference. Fritos, too, sometimes.

It kind of goes along with toppings for the chili, if you're doing that, like sour cream or yogurt, shredded cheese, salsa, etc. Optional of course, but kind of fun.