Savory Cornbread

Cornbread has got to be one of the most delightful, simple, flavorful accompaniments to any meal. As a southerner from North Carolina, I grew up on corn bread (and biscuits and rice, but that’s another story or two). In the south, we do not eat sweet cornbread. First time I tasted sweet cornbread I actually spit it out of my mouth, thinking something was wrong with it! It wasn’t and now that I have been around some, I like all kinds of cornbread—sweet, spicy, savory, cheesy–and every variation. For a southern version, omit the sweeteners, use a 3/4 to 1/4 ratio of cornbread to flour, and substitute buttermilk for half and half (you can also add a tablespoon yogurt to warm milk to simulate buttermilk). But by all means, do try cornbread. My four-year-old cannot get enough of plain, old fresh buttered cornbread. Cornbread is seriously underappreciated and for no good reason that I can think of!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 cup cornmeal
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 1 Tbsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup half and half
  • ¼ cup melted butter or shortening

Preparation:

  1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
  2. Sift together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.
  3. Combine the half and half, eggs, fat, honey and sugar.
  4. Thoroughly grease and flour a 9″ × 9″ baking pan (or use a nonstick baking pan or a flexible silicone pan).
  5. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ones and mix just until the flour is moistened, no more than ten seconds. The batter should be visibly lumpy — leave it that way! It’s extremely important not to overmix the batter.
  6. Once the liquid and dry ingredients have been combined, pan and bake the cornbread immediately.
    • TIP: The dry and wet ingredients, respectively, can be mixed in advance, but as soon as the wet and dry ingredients have been combined with each other, the liquid will activate the baking powder and the batter must be baked right away.
  7. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean and the edge of the bread starts to separate from the pan.

Pumpkin pie

Ingredients

  • Pie crust
    • 3 cups flour
    • 1 cup shortening
    • 1½ tsp salt
    • 1 TBSP sugar
    • ½ tsp baking powder
    • ½ cup water
  • 29 oz can pumpkin puree
  • 1½ cups sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • ½ tsp ground cloves
  • 5 eggs
  • 2½ cups milk

Directions

  1. Make pie crust
  2. Preheat oven to 425°
  3. Mix sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves in a small bowl (cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves may be replaced by 3½ tsp pumpkin spice)
  4. In a large bowl beat eggs
  5. Stir pumpkin and sugar/spice mix into eggs
  6. Slowly stir in milk
  7. Pour into pie shell(s) – this makes 2 9″ pies
  8. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes
  9. Reduce heat to 350° and make an additional 45 minutes
  10. Let cool at least 30 minutes

Apple Custard Pie

Adapted from https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-is-marlborough-pie

Ingredients

  • 1 pie crust
  • 6 tbsp butter
  • ¾ cup stewed, pureed apples (typically around 4 apples)
  • Juice of 1 lemon (2 tbsp?)
  • ¾ cup fruit juice (orange, pineapple, apricot, or peach juice)
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ¾ cup white sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tsp grated nutmeg
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions

  1. Prepare the pie crust
    • 3 cups flour
    • 1 cup shortening
    • 1½ tsp salt
    • 1 TBSP sugar
    • ½ tsp baking powder
    • ½ cup water
  2. Prepare the filling
    • Melt butter and leave to cool
    • Peel and dice apples into a pot
    • Add ground cinnamon
    • Add enough water to cover apples and boil until they are soft (~30 minutes)
    • Strain and mash apples
    • Add lemon juice to ¾ cup of stewed apples
    • Add fruit juice, cream and sugar and mix well
    • Add melted butter and mix again
    • Beat eggs and fold into apple mixture
  3. Preheat oven to 400°
  4. Roll out crust into 8″ pie tin
  5. Add grated nutmeg to the custard and spoon into the pie tin
  6. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes
  7. Reduce heat to 350° for another 45 minutes
  8. Cool before serving

Notes

This was more tart than expected. Might want to reduce or skip the lemon juice.

Golumpki

Ingredients

  • 1 whole head cabbage (about 4 pounds)
  • Salt (for salting boiling water)
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 large onion (chopped)
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • ½ lb ground pork
  • 1½ cups cooked rice
  • 1 tsp garlic (finely chopped)
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1½ cups beef stock
  • Garnish: 1 cup sour cream

Directions

  • Prepare the cabbage
    1. Fill a large pot with water, bring to a boil, and salt it.
    2. Remove the core from the cabbage by cutting around it and discard it.
    3. Place the cabbage in the boiling water. Cover and cook until leaves are softened enough to remove individual leaves. (About 3 minutes.)
    4. When leaves are cool enough to handle, cut away the thick center stem from each leaf. Be careful to not cut all the way through.
    5. After retrieving 18 leaves, chop the remaining cabbage and place it in the bottom of a casserole dish or Dutch oven with a lid.
  • Make the filing
    1. Heat up a large skillet, melt the butter, and add the chopped onion. Cook until tender and remove from the heat to let them cool off.
    2. Mix the cooled onions with the beef, pork, cooked rice, garlic, salt, and black pepper until well combined. Don’t overmix or the meat will become tough.
  • Assemble the rolls
    1. Flatten a cabbage leaf on a cutting board or work surface and place about ½ cup of the meat filling.
    2. Fold sides of leaf over meat then roll along stem from the center to the outside edge of the leaf.
    3. Repeat for each leaf.
  • Cook and serve
    1. Heat oven to 350°
    2. Place the cabbage rolls, seam down, on top of the chopped cabbage. Season each layer with salt and pepper.
    3. Pour the beef stock over the rolls, cover, and place in the oven.
    4. Bake for 1 hour or until cabbage is tender and meat is cooked.
    5. Serve with a drizzle of sour cream, or alternatively, mix the pan juices with the sour cream and ladle it over the cabbage rolls.

Sarmale

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • ½ cup long grain rice uncooked
  • 2 lb ground pork or whatever meat you prefer
  • 1 tbsp parsley flakes
  • 1 tsp dill weed
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 pickled cabbage
  • 15 slices bacon chopped (optional)
  • 4 cups tomato juice

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°
  2. Heat the oil in a skillet, add the onions and cook until softened and translucent.
  3. Add the rice and cook for another minute until the rice is starting to brown.
  4. In a large bowl, add the ground pork, salt, pepper, parsley, dill and the onion and rice mixture. Be careful with the salt, not too much is needed because the sour cabbage is already salty. Mix well using your clean hands.
  5. Remove individual leaves from the cabbage. (Probably 14-18 leaves) Trim the thick center stem to allow the leaves to roll easier.
  6. Fill each leaf with 2 tbsp of the meat mixture and roll. Repeat with all the remaining meat and cabbage. If you have any cabbage left over, chop it up and spread it over the bottom of a 9×13 pan.
    Put all the rolls in the pan, add the chopped bacon (if using) in between the cabbage rolls and add the tomato juice over the rolls. Add more water if needed, the juice should cover the cabbage rolls entirely. Cover the pan with aluminum foil or an oven-safe lid.
  7. Place in the oven and bake for 2 hours, remove the foil or lid and place back in the oven and cook for another hour.

Stuffed Zucchini

Ingredients

  • 1-2 large zucchini (10-12 inches long – you want them to be big enough to have a reasonable seed cavity)
  • 2 lbs ground beef
  • 2 cups cooked rice
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 tsp granulated garlic
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Seasoned salt
  • 1 cup shredded cheese

Directions

  1. Cook ground beef with finely chopped onion, garlic, salt and pepper.
  2. Mix rice, ground beef and soup mix together.
  3. Peel the zucchini and cut it in half lengthwise then remove the seeds and place in a 9×13 pan.
  4. Generously season the zucchini with seasoned salt.
  5. Spoon in meat/rice/soup mixture into the hollowed out zucchini. The zucchini should be nearly overflowing with the stuffing.
  6. Layer shredded cheese over the top.
  7. Cover with foil and bake at 350° for one hour. The zucchini should be tender.
  8. Remove the cover and bake another 15 minutes to let the cheese top get a bit crispy.

Swedish meatballs

Ingredients

  • 4 Tbsp butter
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
    • (¾ cup milk + ¼ cup melted butter)
  • 3 Tbsp flour
  • 1 tsp mustard
  • 30 – 40 meatballs
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

  1. Melt the butter. Quickly whisk in the flour and cook until golden.
  2. Stir in the broth, heavy whipping cream, mustard and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook until it thickens.
  3. Add the meatballs in the gravy sauce. Cook until meatballs are heated through.
  4. Serve with mashed potatoes, noodles, or rice.

Homemade Baked Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

  • 16 oz elbow macaroni, cooked (or other tubular pasta)
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter
  • ⅓ cup all purpose flour
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 4 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
  • 2 cups Gruyere cheese shredded
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1½ cups panko crumbs
  • 4 tbsp butter melted
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese shredded
  • ¼ tsp smoked paprika

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a large 3 qt or 4 qt baking dish and set aside.
  2. Combine shredded cheeses in a large bowl and set aside.
  3. Cook the pasta one minute shy of al dente according to the package instructions. Remove from heat, drain, and place in a large bowl.
  4. Drizzle pasta with olive oil and stir to coat pasta. Set aside to cool while preparing cheese sauce.
  5. Melt butter in a deep saucepan, dutch oven, or stock pot.
  6. Whisk in flour over medium heat and continue whisking for about 1 minute until bubbly and golden.
  7. Gradually whisk in the milk and heavy cream until nice and smooth. Continue whisking until you see bubbles on the surface and then continue cooking and whisking for another 2 minutes. Whisk in salt and pepper.
  8. Add two cups of shredded cheese and whisk until smooth. Add another two cups of shredded cheese and continue whisking until creamy and smooth. Sauce should be nice and thick.
  9. Stir in the cooled pasta until combined and pasta is fully coated with the cheese sauce.
  10. Pour half of the mac and cheese into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining 2 cups of shredded cheese and then the remaining mac and cheese.
  11. In a small bowl, combine panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese, melted butter and paprika. Sprinkle over the top and bake until bubbly and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Borrowed from Mom on Timeout