Crock Pot Cornbread

Thanksgiving is coming up and the oven is going to be a crowded place. Here's a trick to free up some space in the oven and get your cornbread done for stuffing. Not only that, but it makes great cornbread and minimizes the potential for burning it.  It also makes a nice compact and attractive cornbread for potluck. The process is simple.

Ingredients:

• Cornbread mix (Martha White is the best - no lard)
• Eggs and milk as called for by the mix 
• Optional: 1/4 cup grated Velveeta or cheddar cheese
• Alternate:  Cornbread batter from scratch
• Butter or Margarine
• Crock pot

Directions:

1. Turn the crock pot on high
2. Melt butter or margarine in the bottom of the crock pot and brush it around on the sides and evenly over the bottom of the pot so the cornbread won't stick
3. Mix up the batter while the butter is melting.
4. Optional: Grate the quarter cup cheese and blend in with the batter
5. Pour the batter into the crock pot and cover with the lid.
6. Bake for one to two hours depending on how hot the crock pot runs
7. Bake till a knife inserted into the cornbread comes out clean.
8. Turn off pot. If the crock is removable, lift it out and use a spatula to loosen the sides and bottom.  Turn out onto a plate and voila!  Cornbread!

Note:
Adding a little honey to the mix makes a nice sweeter cornbread if you like that sort of thing. To make Mexican cornbread add cheese and jalapeno or diced poblano peppers and onions. This is the easiest way I've found to make cornbread. Because it cooks slow, it's forgiving to cooks that don't multi-task well - giving you a 20 minute or so window to take it off the heat. The crock pot gives you that nice even heat like an iron skillet and makes a crisp crust with the melted butter on the bottom. And it gives you a nice cute cornbread to take to potluck. You could make two or three on Friday while you are working on your Friday housekeeping. And it'll only cost you three 50 cent boxes of cornbread mix a little milk and a few eggs. Three cornbreads this size will give you plenty to go around at the potluck and people will be amazed at how good it is warmed in the microwave just before serving.

© 2016 by Tom King