Cast Iron Broccoli Cornbread

Cast Iron Broccoli Cornbread

Dorcas Annette Walker

After the whirl of holiday activities when the last dirty dish, glasses, and utensils have been washed and put back where they belong and once more the counter and stove has been wiped clean, all I want is something quick and easy to fix. That’s when I like to take out ole faithful (my cast iron skillet) and cook up a simple meal. You can’t go wrong and the beauty of it all is that you only have one pan to wash up. Also when winter ice storms hit the mountain causing power outages- that still happen frequently up here in Fentress county- I simply transfer my cast iron skillet over to the top of my woodstove and soon have a meal cooking. No matter how advanced technology gets, I remain connected to the past whenever I cook with my iron skillet. Some things only get better with age and my iron skillet is one. As handy as all my modern, time-saving, gadgets are in my kitchen if I was stripped of everything save my iron skillet, I could still survive. A reassuring fact as we face a New Year full of change and uncertainty is that as we re-adjust our priorities we begin to focus on what is truly important in life.

To start off the New Year I am going to give you two recipes for using your cast iron skillet. I hope it triggers off creative ideas for other nutritious meals in your kitchen. Not only does an iron skillet retain more heat than other cookware, which costs less energy to use, but cast iron also boosts the iron levels in your prepared food making iron skillets more nutritious to use. So grab your iron skillet and let’s get to cookin!

My Cast Iron Broccoli Cornbread is a colorful cheesy dish perfect for chasing away winter blues and bringing back the taste of summer while my Taco Cornbread Casserole is packed full of nutritious vitamins that will help to keep you healthy all winter and guarantee to warm up a cold winter day. Both recipes make a meal in themselves and would be a perfect to prepare when unexpected company arrives. Both the Cast Iron Broccoli Cornbread and my Taco Cornbread Casserole recipe serve eight.

Cast Iron Broccoli Cornbread

In a greased 10 inch iron skillet mix together:
2 eggs
1 stick of melted margarine
½ of a medium-sized onion chopped fine
½ (12 oz) carton cottage cheese of your choice
½ (16 oz) frozen pkg of broccoli chopped into small pieces
1 (8.5 oz) pkg Jiffy Cornmeal mix
Bake at 350º for one hour. Cut into serving pieces and eat while hot!

Taco Cornbread Casserole

Brown 1 lb of hamburger in a 10 inch iron skillet.
Add one quart of salsa (your choice) and simmer for five minutes.
Spread ½ pkg of shredded cheese (your choice) on top.
Prepare 1 box of Jiffy Cornmeal mix as instructed and pour over cheese.
Bake at 350º for 30-35 minutes until brown. Serve hot right out of the oven!

Weekly tip: Cast iron skillets are easy to care for when you soak with water encrusted food before washing in hot soapy water to avoid any hard scrubbing, and then thoroughly dry your iron skillet using a paper towel before storing (don’t cover with any lids) with your other pots and pans!

Dorcas Annette Walker is a published author, columnist, speaker, freelance magazine writer, and photographer from Jamestown, Tennessee. Contact her at: dorcaswalker@twlakes.net. For more recipes check out her Creative Mountain Cookin page and blog at: www.dorcasannettewalker.com