After Guests Went Back for Seconds, I Tried Garten’s Easy Cornbread and Love the Recipe So Much I Make It Every Thanksgiving
A skillet recipe catches attention
While choosing dishes for Friendsgiving, the cook looked to Ina Garten for inspiration. A photo of her brown-butter skillet cornbread in “The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook” caught the cook’s eye.
Garten describes it as the best cornbread she has made. The recipe serves 10 to 12 people and calls for fine cornmeal, which Garten says makes the bread moister than medium-grind cornmeal.
Brown the butter carefully
The cook melted butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat, keeping a close watch as it browned. Garten’s instruction is to monitor it carefully and avoid burning it.
The butter went into a bowl with milk and two eggs. The cook then added flour, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder and kosher salt, mixing the batter with a rubber spatula until just combined. Garten says a few lumps are fine.
Rest, then bake the batter
The batter rested for 15 minutes, a step Garten considers essential for the best result. The cook left the skillet unwiped after melting the butter and poured the batter directly into it.
After smoothing the top and adding sea salt, the cook baked the cornbread at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Garten’s recipe gives a baking time of 35 to 40 minutes; after 35 minutes, a knife inserted in the center came out clean.
A new Thanksgiving favorite
At the table, guests praised the cornbread’s moist, fluffy interior and sweet-savory flavor. Kayla, a fellow taste tester, said the outside was salty and crunchy while the inside was moist and sweet.
Guests went back for seconds, and the cook said the bread became a permanent part of the Thanksgiving menu. It also stayed moist when eaten as leftovers a day or two later.
Key points
- Garten’s brown-butter skillet cornbread serves 10 to 12 people.
- The batter rests for 15 minutes before baking.
- The cornbread bakes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 to 40 minutes.
- Guests praised its crisp, salty exterior and moist, sweet interior.