Cast Iron Cornbread � Frugal Fabulous

What to bring to a cookout is always a tough call. Ribs or brisket would be great, but they�re not cheap, and take hours to prepare. On the other end of the spectrum, you could just bring a bag of chips, but that�s kind of weak sauce.

In fact, that�s probably worse that literally bringing a weak sauce, which is why this easy-to-make cast iron cornbread is such a great option. This stuff is very inexpensive to make, but that�ll be the last thing anyone will be thinking about as they eat, and if everything goes according to plan, you�ll be asked to bring it to the next gathering. Sure, every once in a while it would be nice to show up with a pulled pork shoulder, but hey, you�re the cornbread guy or gal, and that�s just your thing.

Above and beyond how much extra beer money this recipe will afford you, it�s also very adaptable. You can add things like hot peppers, cheese, and fresh corn, as well as adjust the texture to your particular tastes. I use a lot of buttermilk, since I don�t care for a super-dry, crumbly cornbread, but if you do, simply reduce the amount to one cup. You can also use plain milk for this, but I really do like the tang of the buttermilk.

As far as the butter amount goes, I�d usually use four tablespoon for the batter, and maybe only one or two for the pan, but this time I decided to melt the whole stick. It was borderline too much, so maybe keep that in mind if you don�t want it too rich, but as with all these recipes, I�ll let you experiment and figure things out. Either way, I hope you give this easy, and affordable cornbread a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 8-10 Portions:

1/2 cup melted unsalted butter, divided (half for batter, half for pan)

1 cup cornmeal

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

pinch of cayenne

3 tablespoons honey, or to taste

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups buttermilk (or less for a drier texture)

1 cup self-rising flour*

- Bake at 400 F. for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

*To make your own you self-rising flour, sift together 1 cup of all-purpose flour, with 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt.