Broccoli Cornbread
Monsieur Doughboy Presents Broccoli Cornbread
Cornpone, johnnycakes, hoecakes, sweetened or salty; however it is made or called, cornbread is a beloved staple in many homes. The American South has a special love for cornbread and many recipes (brought from the North) call for it to be sweet. My own Granny was from the mountains of Kentucky and could not stand that sugar was added to cornbread. She thought it ruined the flavor and I agree with her.
The history of cornbread goes back thousands of years. Native Americans grew corn and ground it into meal centuries before Europeans came to America and sowed wheat. It was mixed with water and baked in the sun or over an open fire. Later on it was placed on boards and skillets and cooked in the ashes of a fire or on a hearth. Then early American settlers began using their cast iron skillets to bake or fry cornbread and the love affair really began.
Cooks began to add other ingredients for various reasons. Cornbread travels well so it could be sent off with travelers or soldiers. Since food was scarce unless one stopped to kill, clean and cook it, bread became a necessary staple. The more nutrients it contained the better, so foods such as pork cracklings, cheese, vegetables, onions, beans and anything leftover in the kitchen were tossed into the batter.
I grew up on cornbread. We had biscuits for breakfast, big as a cat’s head and dripping with butter. But supper was always served with a big pan of cornbread baked in Granny’s cast iron skillets. She had some that were divided into wedges so all sides of the bread were crispy and brown. We kids fought over those and I have the scars to prove it. Cornbread was always made with fresh sweet milk or our own churned buttermilk and when we had greens (think turnip), we poured the “pot liquor” over the cornbread and it was so good that my mouth waters even now when I think of it.
Nowadays mothers sneak vegetables into food because kids will not eat them, but we loved anything set before us. Of course at our table, you ate what was cooked or went hungry. The choice was clear. No one was going to cook something special just because a kid was picky. Many is the time I was stabbed with a fork (or stabbed someone else), trying to get a chicken breast, and I hate chicken! But when that big pan of cornbread was set on the table, we all fell silent and just breathed in the aroma of good food cooked with love.
One of Granny’s favorite cornbread recipes was made with broccoli and cheese when she had it. Cheese was a luxury but the garden was full of broccoli well into fall until the first hard frost killed it. I make it now for my tiny family just like she made it for her huge family. The buttermilk is store bought and the local mill did not grind the meal, but that smell is the same and it brings Granny back to me for a little while.
Here is her recipe for broccoli cornbread, tweaked just a bit to make it more user friendly for the modern cook. I hope you enjoy it.
Easy, Cheesy and Delicious
This bread is sure to be a hit at any dinner table. it is perfect for soups, beans or any dish where bread is desired. This recipe is quick and easy to make. It has a healthy aspect since it adds a vegetable to the meal. Enjoy!
Healthy Foods and Happy Homes
Cook Time
Ingredients
- 2 cups cornmeal, (self rising)
- 1 cup flour, (self rising)
- 1 cup chopped broccoli, (fresh or frozen)
- 1 cup milk, buttermilk is best
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
- 1/2-1 cup water (as needed), to achieve desired consistency
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp Oil or cooking spray, to coat pan
I Use Granny's Cast Iron Wedge Skillet
Preparing The Cornbread
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat a baking pan, preferably cast iron, over low heat. Coat with nonstick cooking spray or add a teaspoon of oil.
- Place the cornmeal, flour, broccoli and cheese in a large bowl. Mix well. Then stir in milk, egg and water (as needed). Stir until ingredients are combined and mixture can be spooned out.
- Place cornmeal mixture into baking pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-45 minutes. As each oven varies, check after 20 minutes and each 5 minutes thereafter. The bread is done when an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Crust should be golden brown.
Optional Ingredients
- Chopped onion
- Red, Yellow or green peppers
- Other cheeses
- Ground Habeneros or other peppers
- Whole kernel corn
- Lots of butter!
- To give a buttermilk taste, add 1 teaspoon of vinegar to sweet milk
- Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt per cup of cornmeal or flour in a bread recipe when using plain flour or cornmeal.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Serving size: 1 slice | |
| Calories | 129 |
| Calories from Fat | 27 |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Fat 3 g | 5% |
| Saturated fat 3 g | 15% |
| Unsaturated fat 0 g | |
| Carbohydrates 5 g | 2% |
| Sugar 1 g | |
| Fiber 4 g | 16% |
| Protein 2 g | 4% |
| Cholesterol 3 mg | 1% |
| * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. | |
Remember!
Nutrition Facts are approximate. I took the recipe measurements and divided them by the number of cornbread slices. Optional ingredients will significantly change these numbers and the cook must use his/her own recipe to determine actual nutrition.
Yummy In My Tummy!
This recipe costs about $2 to make so it is an economical addition to the family meal plan.
