I love cornbread. And I have several really good cornbread recipes already on this site. But for whatever reason, this cobbled together recipe I think is going to be my favorite. First of all, I love using buttermilk. (I almost always have some on hand.) Now granted, I don’t drink the stuff, but I love adding it to pancake batter, for example, because I love the tiny bit of tang it provides. Another reason for this recipe – I didn’t have a super plain, slightly sweet, buttermilk cornbread recipe at the ready. Now I do. And as far as I’m concerned, it is the perfect cornbread recipe. Easy to build. Just enough sweetness for my taste. And super moist. All the qualities I believe a fabulous cornbread should possess. And it contains only the most essential of ingredients, all of which I normally have on hand.  

Now don’t get me wrong. My other cornbread recipes are great too. And I will still enjoy eating them when I serve certain dishes. But for an all-around, multi-purpose, you can serve this with just about any dish cornbread, this is now my go to recipe. It is perfect for breakfast slathered in butter and drizzled with warm maple syrup. Great with a big old bowl of soup or chili for lunch or dinner. And if you are into cornbread dressing, this recipe would work really well. (See recipe below) However, I would suggest reducing the sugar to 1 or 2 tablespoons. Your choice of granulated or brown sugar.

So that’s it for today. It’s rainy and very windy here in our part of the world. I can still see Port Susan, but the mainland and the mountains are hidden from view. I know they will come back to me, but for now all I have is their image in my memory banks. It’s kind of like how we are planning to celebrate Thanksgiving this year. We are going to treasure our memories of past gatherings. And lift a glass or two to our family and dearest friends. But we are going to stay safely tucked away in our own home. And by doing so, help our dearest friends stay safe too. All the while looking forward to when we can all once again celebrate and give thanks together.

Happy Thanksgiving Day my friends. And please stay safe. And as always, peace and love to all.

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted (I use a large glass mixing bowl and melt the butter in my microwave)

¼ c. granulated sugar

¼ c. brown sugar, packed

1 c. buttermilk

2 eggs

1 c. cornmeal

1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour (fluffed)

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. kosher salt

fleur de sel or other flaky salt

Butter an 8-inch square pan or an 11×7-inch rectangular pan. (I use glass Pyrex dishes.) Set aside.

Mix the melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together. Stir in the buttermilk and then the eggs. Stir until well combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, and kosher salt together. Add to the butter mixture and stir just until combined. Avoid over-mixing the batter. It doesn’t need to be completely smooth. Pour into the prepared pan. Lightly sprinkle with fleur de sel.

Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 22-26 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Don’t overbake.

CORNBREAD DRESSING

½ lb. Italian sausage (pork or chicken)

4 T. (½ stick) unsalted butter

¾ c. diced celery

¾ c. chopped onion

6 button mushrooms, thinly sliced

½ tsp. dried sage

½ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp. poultry seasoning (or more to taste)

¼ tsp. granulated garlic

1 tsp. dried parsley

3 c. cubed rustic bread, toasted (I like part sour dough)

2 c. cubed and dried cornbread (just cube the cornbread and let it sit for a few hours on your counter) 

1 egg, beaten

2 c. chicken broth

Fry sausage (crumbling it as it browns) in a large frying pan or Dutch oven. When browned add the butter, celery, onion, and mushrooms; cook until the onion is transparent.  Stir in the sage, salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, granulated garlic, and dried parsley. Remove from heat and gently stir in the bread cubes and cubed cornbread. (Don’t worry if the cornbread breaks down.) Whisk the egg and chicken broth together. Pour over the bread mixture; gently stir until combined.

Spoon the dressing into a buttered casserole pan, cover with lid or aluminum foil, and either refrigerate until ready to bake or place in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 35-40 minutes. Remove lid and bake an additional 5 minutes or until starting to brown on top. Serve hot.