Real Corn Bread

Forget everything you ever knew about corn bread.  This is "REAL" Southern corn bread and it tastes so good, so authentic you won't believe it.  It's not Yankee Cornbread whch is loaded with sugar and flour and tastes like dessert.  Nope.  This is the real deal.  Make sure you use STONE GROUND cornmeal.  Bob's Red Mill is good and available throughout New England.  If you are in Sudbury, the Sudbury Inn sells it in their gift shop.
Bob's Red Mill Corn Meal

Real Corn Bread recipe by James Brooks: (can be halved)
Recipe is from The Artists' and Writers' Cookbook, 1961, now a collector's item

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. When hot, put a cast iron skillet in the oven.
If you are making the whole recipe, use a 12" skillet; for 1/2 recipe, a 10' skillet will suffice 


2 cups stone ground corn meal
1 t. baking soda
2 t. salt
2 t. baking powder

Mix separately:
2 eggs
4 T. shortening (your fave- bacon grease o.k.)
2 cups buttermilk.
Mix wet and dry ingredients separately. then combine to make the batter. Do not over-mix.

Grease the skillet, pour in the batter and bake from 20-30 minutes (less time if halving recipe). Serve in pie shaped pieces, well buttered. Makes 10 generous slices.

Wonderful with chili and a pot of ham and beans and many soups.  You are eating a true slice of Americana.

If you had enough foresight to make the whole recipe, you can have a delicious casserole the next evening:

Chicken Corn Bread Casserole:

 4 cups crumbled corn bread
1/2 cup chopped celery
 1/4 cup green pepper, chopped
 1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced mushrooms, sauteed (optional)
2 cups chicken, cooked and chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1 1/2 cups chicken broth  (I use homemade if possible)
Salt and pepper to taste.  If chicken broth is salty, you may not need much salt.


Saute the chopped vegetables in a little canola oil until soft.
Combine cornbread and sauteed vegetables.  Place 1/2 of the mixture in a 2 quart casserole.  Spread chicken over.

Combine soup and broth and pour over chicken.  Cover with remaining cornbread mixture. Press down.  Set aside for 20 minutes.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.


Good with a side of green beans and some homemade cranberry sauce.