BAKE | SKILLET HONEY CORNBREAD

Whenever my sister comes home from college, my dad barbecues baby back ribs, we invite her boyfriend over, and we feast! It's usually up to the rest of us to come up with side dishes, and we love our carbs. Traci happened to be over that day and we decided to make mac & cheese and cornbread - two necessities of eating BBQ. I handled the mac & cheese and she was in charge of the cornbread.

Our siblings are always hesitant about letting us cook or bake together because we've have a long list of kitchen disasters and sub-par baked goods. But let me tell you, I think I figured out a solution. We can be in the kitchen at the same time, but we can't be baking together. Something about our excitement and teamwork and too much positive energy and maybe forgetting who measured what into the dry ingredients leads to failure.

So Traci worked on the cornbread and it turned out fantastic. I loved the crispy edges from the cast iron pan. When it come out of the oven I poked holes using a toothpick and drizzled honey all over the top. Best. idea. ever.

Skillet Cornbread
Recipe Adapted from The Pioneer Woman
Servings: 12

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup Yellow Cornmeal
• 1/2 cup All-purpose Flour
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 TBS Baking Powder
• 1 cup Buttermilk (or 1 cup milk + 1 tsp vinegar)
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 cup (+2 TBS for skillet) butter (or shortening)
• 1/8-1/4 cup honey

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, salt, and baking powder. 
3. Stir together buttermilk, milk, and egg. Add the baking soda and stir.
4. Pour the wet into the dry ingredients. Stir with a fork until combined.
5. In a small bowl, melt 1/4 cup butter and slowly add to the batter, stirring until just combined. In an iron skillet, melt the 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Pour the batter into the hot skillet. Spread to even out the surface. (Batter should sizzle.)
6. Cook on stovetop for 1 minute, then bake for 20 -25 minutes or until golden brown. Edges should be crispy! Remove from oven and immediately drizzle the top of the cornbread with honey. 

Here's another look at the four racks of baby back ribs my dad barbecued! It's perfect BBQ weather right now!

xoxo, allison