Cornbread

Cornbread is a quick bread made from some type of cornmeal. There are many varieties of Cornbread but all contain cornmeal and are quick breads; that is, they are not leavened by yeast as traditional loaves. Cornbread is uniquely a product of the United States, as corn was used in North American cooking long before Europeans arrived on the continent.

In present times, cornbread is known as a staple of southern cuisine, with equal amounts of salt and sugar to accentuate the tastes of other food. Most cornbreads are baked and contain a heavy fat, such as lard or other shortening.

Cornbread became popular during the American Civil War because it was very cheap and could be made in many different forms. The bread can be made into high rising loaves or simply fried for a fast meal. Cornbread fritters are fried while bread cooked in a cast iron skillet is called a pone. Bread can be cooked in a bread stick form often in the shape of an ear of corn or can be made into muffins.

A thicker buttermilk based batter deep fried rather than pan fried forms the hushpuppy. Cornbread is a key ingredient in southern dressing or stuffing. While stuffing is made primarily during holidays to fill poultry, dressing is served year round at family reunions, [[potluck ideas|potlucks, or church or social gatherings.

Cornbread can be served alone or in another dish. Consider these cornbread variations for serving with your next meal.

• Cornbread Fritters - Made by frying a cornbread mixture in pancake style
• Cornbread Muffins - can be made in full size cupcake tins or min muffins
• Hushpuppies - Fried with onions and peppers dropped in hot oil by the large spoonful
• Cornbread Dressing- Combined with seasonings, broths, and meats to bake in a casserole dish
• Cornbread Stuffing-mixed with seasonings and made to a wet mixture for adding inside a turkey or chicken