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Pioneer Cornbread

This cornbread recipe is how pioneers made it while surviving on the journey West.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes

Equipment

  • 1 Cast Iron Skillet

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups cornmezl
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups milk
  • 2 tbsps shortening

For pan

  • 1/4 cup shortening

Instructions
 

  • Season your cast iron skillet if needed. If you don’t have cast iron, you can use any oven-safe baking dish.
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Put ¼ cup of lard or oil into your pan and put it in the oven to heat. Watch it closely – you want the pan and oil to be hot but not so hot that it burns.
  • Combine cornmeal, eggs, 2 tablespoons of lard,and 2/3 of the milk in a bowl. Stir it up well and add more milk if needed. You want the consistency to be a little bit like thick pancake batter.
  • Remove your cast iron pan from the oven – it should be really hot!
  • Pour the batter into the pan. If your pan is at the right temperature, the batter will sizzle. This is what gives it a crispy texture. You need a little space at the top of the pan for the cornbread to expand so it doesn’t leak over the edges.
  • Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 to 30 minutes. The top of the cornbread should be golden brown.
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