Cornbread: My Dad's Recipe

Most recipes that I have had on here so far include introductions where I have hated the food or had no experience with it. Well, it couldn't be further from the truth on this one. I've always loved cornbread, eaten cornbread, and heck, I'd probably marry someone for endless cornbread. In fact, if you hate cornbread, you should seriously consider praying for new taste buds 'cuz you got shafted.

Okay, so my dad has been making cornbread like this for as long as I can recall. (The only change is that we use Self-rising meal now) It isn't like a tradition thick-sliced baked cornbread, a buttery muffin, nor a super thin 'hoe cake.'

So this is a, as I call it, chunky and onion-y cornbread pancake (thingy).

It's debatable who makes it better, my dad or me (neither of us have great talent in the culinary area, we just know what we like and stick to it), but I dare to guess it tastes better to the one who just has to eat it and not cook it. I like it this way because it is slightly healthier (well, unless you smother butter on it) than the traditional thick cornbread or corn muffins. Also, we throw a whole bunch of chunks of vegetables in it. (Warning: We like onions. I think I could eat a red onion or a green onion raw, and then want another one.)
Dad's Chunky Cornbread Flats

Ingredients:

4 cups - Self Rising Corn Meal
2 eggs
2.5 cups - milk (I use skim)
1/8 cup oil (I usually use olive)

Ingredients to add after mixing above (optional but wonderful):

2 teas. - ground pepper
2 teas - onion salt (or dehydrated onions)
5 cloves - chopped garlic (or 1 heaping tbs of the powder stuff)
1/2 green pepper, chopped (you can add chilies for an extra kick)
Handful chopped green onions (about 2 large, about 6 small)

Directions: Sit your skillet on the stove eye, and turn the burner on low heat.

Place your meal in a mixing bowl, then add the wet ingredients. Mix well.

Then add the onion, spices, pepper, etc. (To your taste) Mix well. You can add milk or meal to get it to the consistency of your choice.

Once the mix is ready to go, turn the burner up a little to a low-medium or medium (depending on how old your stove is, and how brown you want your cornbread).

Spray a bit of Pam in the skillet. And then, pour (I spoon it in) a small amount of batter into the skillet, making a small circle. (Like chunky pancakes). I usually make three small cakes per round, and use about 3-5 spoonfuls of batter per cake.. (My skillet is quite large).

Let 'em cook until the top of the cake begins to look dry or solid. (5-7 minutes). Then carefully, with a prayer, flip them and brown the other side. (about 3-5 minutes.)

Take 'em out and place on a plate that is big enough to stack many more on. (And hide them because whoever comes in the kitchen will steal them.)

Repeat until all the batter is gone, or until you have the desired amount of cakes. The batter will hold in the fridge for a couple days, and the cakes will do good in the fridge for 4-5 days.

Reheating tip: Before you stick the cake in the microwave, wrap it in a paper towel. It will help prevent it from drying out.

This recipe yields a large batch of cornbread. (15-25 cakes, depending on size and thickness of batter) When we don't have guests coming over we usually make a half batch. (8-15 cakes)

Note: Every stove and every pan cooks differently. You may want to run a 'test cake' for your first round to test out your cooking times and temperature. After the first one, in my experience it cooks quicker and easier.

Also, you can experiment with the thickness of the batter. I like my batter a little runny, but my dad uses a thick batter.