Hola Temple Builders! We are closing in on our first big holiday and I know you don’t want to derail all your hard work in a weak moment of indulging in too many sugary and calorie laden foods on Thanksgiving. Once the cold snap hit here in Pampa, I along with the rest of the town was motivated to make things like chili and cornbread. Working out at the gym when it’s cold can be a challenge, especially if you are a lucky individual that has a fire-place to cuddle up to.
We have successfully made a chili that is beanless and full of tons of veggies and meats but I had yet to find a suitable recipe for cornbread. I mean, come on. You can’t have chili without corn bread–it’s like having a peanut butter and jelly sandwich without the bread component. It just doesn’t fly!
While this recipe isn’t grain free like I’ve been doing the past month, it is gluten-free and tastes just as good if not BETTER than old school corn bread.
Here’s the specs!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup stone ground yellow cornmeal, medium-ground (pure cornmeal, NOT cornbread mix. I used an organic cornmeal)
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup grated Jack cheese (the hard, aged Jack cheese) or Parmesan cheese (I opted to not use this)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup milk or half & half (I used what I have on hand, which is unsweetened almond milk)
- 2-3 tablespoons honey
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ~1 tablespoon butter or ghee for pan (I used BACON grease
naturally)
Preheat oven to 425F. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Whisk eggs, milk, and honey together.
Add wet ingredients to dry – stir until just combined. Stir in melted butter.
Heat a 8- or 9-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until searing hot. Add a pat of butter and quickly swirl around until melted, or use bacon grease. Pour the batter into the hot pan over the heat. Smooth out so that batter covers pan if necessary. Place skillet in oven. Bake until browned on top and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cornbread comes out clean (15-20 minutes). Let cook slightly, then invert to remove cornbread from the pan. Slice it up and eat it, with more butter, if desired!
The approximate cooking time was about 18 and a half minutes. Honestly, I was super skeptical but this cornbread was outta this world! Almond flour just didn’t seem like it would work as great as regular flour, but man was I pleasantly surprised! Perfectly brown and crusty outside, with a soft, succulent inside. It needed absolutely nothing on it, other than a pile of chili. Wowzers.
We got all fat-kidded out before I realized I should probably take some pretty pics for you guys. At least you can see in one sitting, we took out half the pan
You can use this recipe in you Thanksgiving stuffing and feel good that you are providing a healthy alternative to boxed mixes or processed junk. It was easy to assemble, quick, and tasty! I hope you are continuing to look for more alternatives to cooking during the holidays. Make sure that you have the right mindset going into them–remember, we are celebrating our blessings and being thankful for them. It is not an excuse to tear down food like you’ve been on sabbatical for 6 months. Keep in mind what matters–it is ONE day, enjoy yourself but exercise your right to SELF CONTROL.
Till next time Temple Builders!