Skillet Cornbread with Bacon & Cheese

Oh don't mind us - we're just sitting here messing around on Buzzfeed, watching some guy serenade his cows on trombone. Too bad I don't get this same effect with the cats when I play clarinet...Will has clearly hit that point in the semester where he can almost do no more work, as evidenced by our increase in Buzzfeed sessions. I mean really, at this point, I don't know what he would do without it. But a week from today, one glorious week from this evening, we will be sitting on ours bums doing NOTHING (that's right: no-things) because he will be done with class for the semester. Which is a big hoo-ray in my book, because my office is winding down for the year as well. And in two weeks, we will be on our (almost) two-week long vacation to visit family YAY!



With Will being done with school means more Will-cooking for me! That's always the best because that's when recipes like this one land on our table. I mean really, there's nothing that sounds bad about this: bacon, cheese and bread. It's like a cholesterol-trifecta. Now that doesn't mean it's any good for you, but it's December so it doesn't matter, right? Anywho, this looks all fancy and such, but in reality you basically just throw some things in a skillet, bake it and call it a day. Not so bad, right? Try away!



Cooking Notes: Will did this recipe as-is, so there are no reported changes!

Skillet Cornbread with Bacon & Cheese (adapted from The Kitchn; serves 8)
1/4 lb. thick-cut bacon, roughly chopped
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
3 large eggs
4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the bacon on a cool cast iron skillet and set over medium heat. Cook until the fat seeps out and the bacon becomes crispy, then remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside. Remove the pan from the heat.

Make the batter by stirring together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Then melt 2 tbsp of butter in the microwave (watching carefully) and add it to the batter, along with the buttermilk and eggs. Once mixed, fold in most of the crispy bacon and grated cheese, saving a little to sprinkle on top.

Add the remaining 2 tbsp of butter to the cast iron skillet with the bacon fat, then melt the butter over medium heat and swirl it in the pan. Remove the pan from heat, then pour the cornmeal batter into the skillet, smoothing it out into an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining bacon and cheese on top, then place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove the skillet from the oven and let the cornbread cool for 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!

Recipe: The Kitchn: Bacon Cheddar Skillet Cornbread