Different kinds of cornbread

here are two schools of cornbread, sweet and non-sweet. My wife is firmly in the first group. For the holidays, she always ask me to make chicken cornbread dressing made with sweet cornbread. It is one of her favorite dishes.

There is a lot to be said about non-sweet cornbread. I find that it lends itself to different recipes than sweet cornbread doesn’t. With that in mind, today I want to share with you two different cornbread recipes. The first one makes individual muffins, Andouille Corn Muffins. The second one is more traditional form, Smoked Paprika and Buttermilk Cornbread.

Andouille Corn Muffins

In my opinion, andouille added to a dish brings it to another level. Feel free to use you favorite type of sausage here. Kielbasa is a great alternative.

1 teaspoon canola oil

12 ounces andouille sausage, diced

1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears corn)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup sour cream

2/3 cup milk

1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly

2 large eggs

1 egg yolk

Preheat oven to 400℉. Spray 2 (24-cup) mini muffin pans with cooking spray.

In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add andouille, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Remove andouille using a slotted spoon, reserving drippings in skillet.

Add corn to drippings, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Remove from skillet, and let cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, pepper, and baking soda. Make a well in the center.

In a medium bowl, whisk together sour cream, milk, melted butter, eggs, and egg yolk. Add sour cream mixture to well in flour mixture, and stir until just combined. Fold in andouille and corn. Using a 1 1/2-tablespoon spring-loaded scoop, scoop batter into prepared muffin cups. (Do not overfill).

Bake until tops are golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 7 to 9 minutes. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Remove from pans, and serve warm with butter.

Smoked Paprika and Buttermilk Cornbread

Here’s a different take on non-sweet cornbread. If you don’t like a smoky flavor, use regular paprika.

6 tablespoons bacon drippings, divided

2 cups stone-ground cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3/8 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups whole buttermilk

3 large eggs

3 jalapeños, sliced

3 red Fresno chili peppers, sliced

Preheat oven to 425℉. Place 3 tablespoons of bacon drippings in a 13x9-inch baking pan. Place pan in oven until very hot, about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, paprika, salt, and baking soda. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, and remaining 3 tablespoons bacon drippings. Make a well in center of dry ingredients; add buttermilk mixture; stirring until combined. Spoon batter into hot pan, spreading evenly. Arrange peppers on top of batter.

Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes before cutting into squares.

I feel that most meals need a bread component to make things complete. I also feel that a meal is not complete without a dessert. Next time we meet, I will share a couple of recipes to finish your meal. Until then, Good Cooking! Good Eating! Good Living!