!["Cowboy Cornbread" is a bacon and cheese flavored cornbread that hearty enough to serve with soup](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/13/08/1358988830_8325_cornbread.jpg?itok=jCSL6P_1 ""Cowboy Cornbread" is a bacon and cheese flavored cornbread that hearty enough to serve with soup")
When soup is on the menu, there's only one bread that we commonly serve along with it, and that's cornbread. Virtually every southern baker makes cornbread and each cook has their own way of preparing it. Served hot with plenty of soft butter, cornbread is a blue-ribbon winner!
Southerners debate over what makes good cornbread. Some bakers insist that it be made with white cornmeal, buttermilk and absolutely no sugar. Bakers from the more northern part of the country seem to prefer yellow cornmeal and some sugar in their recipe. And for many, it's imperative that it's baked in an iron skillet. In fact, many southern bakers have an iron skillet that's specifically reserved for cornbread baking and nothing else.
Let's look at a cornbread that is much like "Mexican Cornbread", but with some different additions. "Cowboy Cornbread" is a hearty cornbread that resembles the popular Mexican version. The recipe contains the usual cornbread ingredients, along with cheddar cheese and creamed corn, as the Mexican recipes call for. However, this version has pimiento and bacon, which really makes this a flavorful bread.
This recipe makes a rather large amount, so it's baked in a 9x13 inch pan. This will be handy if you're serving a crowd. While the recipe calls for cheddar cheese, any of your favorite cheeses can be used instead. For a real bite of flavor, try using Monterey Jack cheese with peppers. For cornmeal, either the white or yellow can be used.
Sometime ago, I shared another cornbread recipe for "Charlie Bread" that would also be fitting with a bowl of soup. Here's the link to it, in case you don't already have the recipe:
www.examiner.com/article/a-bread-named-for-charlie
The next time "soup's on", try making this cornbread for a variation of a theme!
COWBOY CORNBREAD
- 1-1/2 cups plain cornmeal
- 1/2 cup plain flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
- 1 egg
- 2 cups cheddar cheese
- 1 can (16 oz.) creamed corn
- 1 tablespoon diced pimiento
- 12 slices bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled
Combine all dry ingredients. Add remaining ingredients and mix just until combined well. Turn into a 9x13 inch pan, which has been greased or sprayed with cookware spray. Bake at 375 degrees for about 40-45 minutes or until browned and cornbread tests done in the center. Serves 12.
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