Thanksgiving: Old Fashioned Cornbread

Can you guys believe that  next week is Thanksgiving and the official start of the holiday season?!  I know!!!  This year has positively flown by, and if I have now panicked you because you didn't realize it was Thanksgiving next week, have no fear!  I've got plenty of recipes between last year and this year to create the perfect traditional Thanksgiving!

First up is a traditional cornbread recipe!  This recipe is an old family recipe from my great-grandma, Susan.  I have heard stories from my grandpa that she was an excellent cook!  I love old family recipes--it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy knowing that my ancestors made food exactly like I am doing (maybe not exactly--pretty close though!).  Plus, they are easy to make with simple ingredients!

 

{I love eating this cornbread with butter and honey--delicious!}

 

{Place corn oil in the skillet and heat it all up}

 

{Mixing the wet ingredients}

 

{Adding the dry ingredients}

 

{The batter should rise a bit.  See the difference between the previous picture and this one?}

 

{CAREFULLY pour the hot oil into the batter}

 

{Add the batter back to the hot cast iron skillet}

 

{Bake until a deep golden brown}

 

{Flip onto a plate and serve!}

One year ago:  Thanksgiving: Smashed Potatoes

Old Fashioned Cornbread

Makes 8-16 servings (depending on how thin you slice it)

1/2 cup corn oil
3 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sour cream, room temperature
14 oz canned creamed corn
1 1/2 cups cornmeal, medium ground
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons baking powder

1. Place corn oil in a large (about 12 inch diameter) cast iron skillet and place in the oven.
2. Preheat oven to 450 WITH casket iron skillet and corn oil in it.
3. Mix all the wet ingredients together until well combine.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until well combined.
5. Let batter sit for 15 minutes; the batter should rise and bubble slightly in that time frame.
6. Once batter has sat, take the skillet out of the oven and pour 2/3 of the corn oil into the batter.  Please be careful as the skillet will be VERY HOT!
7. Mix the oil into the batter and pour everything back into the skillet.
8. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until top gets a deep golden brown color.
9. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then slide onto a plate.
10. Serve.

Stay tuned into this week because I have roasted Brussel sprouts, roasted herb butter chicken, and pumpkin cupcakes planned for all of this week!  If you want to see all the other recipes I did last year (which will be linked up into the posts this week), click on the "Thanksgiving" tag below, and it will bring everything up!

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Food for Thought

~Harriet Morgan

Work has been insane this last month;  I've been thrown into the deep-end without a life vest.  However, it's settled down now, and I believe that I have come through it with as much grace and poise as I possibly could muster.  To say that this was my mantra the entire month would be an accurate statement.  

Anyway--have a fantastic weekend!

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Sausage Gravy

This is a family recipe from my great-grandpa, Bob (my grandmother's father).  I had never really liked gravy until I had this recipe; personally, I thought they all tasted like paste.  I'm glad I gave this a try though!  And the hubby--he can't get enough of this!  I still added my own twist, but it's still in the family! 

 

{The dinner of champions!  Er...  I mean breakfast!  Either way--delicious!}

 

{I used homemade sausage for this particular recipe, but if I get it from the store, we like a hot sausage.  Just use whatever you prefer}

 

{Yes sausage is fatty.  Without that fat, you won't make a good gravy!  You should end up with 3 tablespoons approximately}

 

{Add butter and flour to make a roux}

 

{The flour should soak up ALL the fat--if it doesn't add more flour until it does}

 

{Add milk and heat until thickened}

 

{Serve with homemade biscuits!}

Sausage Gravy

Makes 4-6 servings

1 pound pork sausage (should yield about 3 tablespoons fat)
2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon chicken seasoning
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1. Brown sausage in a pan until cooked through.
2. Add butter and stir until melted.
3. Add flour and stir to combine.  All the fat should be absorbed by the flour; if it's not add more flour until it is.
4. Cook floury meat mixture for 1 minute.
5. Add milk and stir to combine.
6. Heat sauce until thickened.  Sauce will get thicker the longer you cook it.  If it gets too thick, add some milk to thin it out.
7. Add spices along with salt until it tastes delicious!
8. Serve over homemade biscuits.

Do you have family recipes that you have tweaked either to make it easier or add flavor?

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Argentine Beef Stew

In culinary school, my favorite class was International Cuisine.  Basically, for one week we learned about and cooked another country's/region's cuisine.  Unfortunately, we didn't delve too much into South America.  Our lesson for it was to pull a country out of a hat, research the cuisine, find a recipe for that country and make it.  I pulled Argentina, and I was lucky because our Spanish teacher was from Argentina!  (Yes we had to learn kitchen Spanish as part of our curriculum...)  She gave me this recipe, and I have been in love since!

 

{Argentine Beef Stew with buttered bread--my real life lunch today!}

Traditionally, this was slow cooked actually IN a pumpkin, but for ease, I've always included a squash in this recipe instead (much easier and cleaner).  However, this was my first time making it in a crock-pot, but I wasn't too worried about how it would turn out.

 

{Gathering all the ingredients}

 

{You want to sear this meat and get it nice and brown on the outside!}

 

{Click here to learn how to de-glaze a pan}

 

{Apricots are used in this dish.  If for whatever reason, you don't want to add them, then substitute 1/2 cup honey or raisins for them (but you are missing out--just saying)}

 

{Squashes are difficult to peel and cut.  I found out AFTER I did this that you can buy pre-diced and peeled squash in the produce section--guys save your fingers/hands and buy a bag!}

 

{Such beautiful colors!}

 

{Going in the crock-pot}

Argentine Beef Stew
from a wonderful Spanish teacher's family recipe

Serves 6

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds beef stew meat
1 medium onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 peppers, diced (your choice of color)
1 cup dried apricots, diced (sub same amount of raisins or 1/2 cup honey if you desire)
1 large potato, peeled and diced
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 small acorn or butternut squash, peeled and diced (about 1 pound)
8 oz frozen corn
3 cups beef broth
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon chili flakes (optional and can be decreased to taste)

1. Heat oil in a pan; add meat and sear until browned on most sides.
2. Remove meat and add onions and garlic; saute until golden brown.
3. Add wine to onions and garlic to de-glaze the pan.
4. Place everything in a crock-pot.
5. Cook on high for 6-7 hours or until potatoes and squash are done.
6. Season to taste with salt.
7. Serve.

Have you ever tried a different take on a beloved recipe (like this twist on beef vegetable stew)?  Did you like it?

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