So while on on my quest for amazing dollar store recipes (ie: cheap recipes) I was happy to be contacted by a lovely fellow who was quite the character.
He shared an old family favorite recipe with me called the “Yankee”; it’s a corn bread recipe with a bit of a twist. Not only is the recipe cheap, but it’s totally vintage themed and interesting to follow along with the fun directions on how to make it. I’ve decided to share this old-fashioned recipe with our readers (including all the fun side bar comments, from the lovely Nevin).
Thanks Nevin for the recipe!
Recipe: Yankee Corn Bread
Courtesy of: Neven Lee Gibbs, Fr, RC, SSG 11th CAV (Ret) Author, Musician, Actor, humorist and accused of being a character.
Note: “Recipe from the U. S. Civil War. Popular on the Confederate side but also eaten on the Union side.”
Ingredients
- 1 box of corn bread mix muffin mix (From RecipeLion editor: I suggest Jiffy, 8.5-once box or find another brand from Dollar Store if on strict budget)
- 1 package of bacon (or as desired)
- 2 to 3 green onions
- buttermilk (as needed)
- salt and pepper to taste
- You Will Also Need:
- 1 muffin pan
- a frying pan
Instructions
- Mix corn bread according to instructions, taste for sweetness. Add sugar as needed. Mix some more.
- Preheat oven per cooking directions on box.
- Grease muffin pan with “shortnen’, old bacon grease, bear grease or buffalo hump. Modern sprays can be used.”
- Pour corn bread into muffin pan. Use a spatula to avoid getting the rest on your fingers.
- Now “go do something else until the timer goes off.”
- Take out of oven or dutch oven (if used) to cool.
- Cut up bacon or “fatback” into small pieces and fry up crispy. Remove, set aside and keep warm. Save bacon grease.
- Take 1 to 2 corn muffins and crumble on a plate.
- Skin bad parts off of green onions and cut up with scissors.
- Crumble some onions on top of cornbread.
- Dump crispy bacon on top and “add one tablespoon of heart attack…I mean [bacon] grease in a circular motion.”
- Pour a little buttermilk on top of that. Stir with a fork. Should be firm and showing liquid between particles. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
- Now enjoy! (Nevin suggests eating this recipe before a nap).
NOTE: To make this recipe above truly vintage try making the cornbread from scratch with this Sweet Buttermilk Corn Bread recipe.
“The recipe is an accurate description of actually cooking it in a kitchen covering the time period from the Civil War to today.”
“Northerners passing by may comment with words like “My god! I hope
you get well soon,” or “I didn’t know you were sick…And all over the
plate too!” Ignore them or threaten them with your musket…”
—–
For another old-fashioned and easy cornbread recipe, you have to check out this Skillet Cornbread. It’s a very easy and fun way to make and serve cornbread.
What about you, do you have any special recipes handed down through family generations?
I am a senior citizen, but I remember when I was pre school age. My Mother made what she called ‘Johnny Cake’. All I remember was it used cornmeal. And we had it only when money was very tight. I loved it, she made it in a cake pan and made homemade syurup for it. It was our supper meal. Dad would get a bit of bacon or a couple of sausages with his, but Mom and i would just have johnny cake with syurup. ( not healthy now a days!, it was a winter meal, in summer we had lots of salads instead out of the garden). I wonder if this is similar?
Sounds like one of the ways we eat cornbread minus the green onions & bacon. I bake the cornbread in a cast iron skillet then we put it in a glass or mug, add sugar & fill glass with milk & stir. I grew up eating it this way & I’m a northerner.
There’s never sugar in Southern cornbread. At least 5 generations of my family have made skillet cornbread without sugar – and without flour; for variety, stir in about 1/4 to 1/2 cup cracklins (or crumbled fried pork skins) before baking. We crumble the hot cornbread in a tall glass and pour cold buttermilk over it and eat it with a spoon. It’s very refreshing in summer.
Iam from texas but live in Mo but we have always used 2c yellow corn meal to 1c flour 1 T baking powder one forth of a tsp salt 1 to 1& ahalf c of milk P S Add1 lb hamberger w/ taco seasoning with 1 onions and 2 mild peppers or however hot you want it