JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Wait - a recipe on Friday?? Yes, dear readers, I'm breaking my usual Sunday recipe habit because I've got something you're going to want for this weekend, but you have to start it overnight.
Like a lot of you, I'm relying more on my daughter and young friends to get groceries for me these days (I'm feeling a tad worried about those extra-contagious Covid variants.) Among other locally-sourced staples, my young friend Jess happened to pick up a "Breakfast Cornbread Casserole" from Rosemont Market and Bakery, the wonderful six-store chain where she works.
Friends, this was amazeballs. It was dense, eggy, sweet but also a little savory from onion and scallions. Breakfast casserole was the perfect description - it was baked in one pan and one or two squares was sturdy enough to keep me (and Youngest, who was home for the weekend) full until lunch.
I had to figure out how to make it myself. Armed with a list of ingredients, I looked at about 800 cornbread, corn pudding, spoon pudding and cornbread casserole recipes. I tried combining a few, leaving some ingredients out, and came up with what I think is a pretty good facsimile, for those of you who don't live close enough to shop at Rosemont. If you do baking semi-regularly, you probably have all the ingredients right in your pantry.
CORNBREAD BREAKFAST CASSEROLE
1 c coarse cornmeal (may be labeled as polenta)
2 c buttermilk (see note below if you don't have any on hand)
1 3/4 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 t salt
1/4 c each sugar and brown sugar
1 small onion, or 1/2 large onion, thinly sliced into strips
1/4 c scallions, with extra if you want garnish
1 T vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2 T honey
2 T butter, melted
The night before (or the morning of, if you want this for dinner) combine the cornmeal and the buttermilk in a large bowl. Cover with a dishtowel and leave it to soak at least 8 hours. This is why you're getting the recipe on Friday!
Set the oven to 350F
In a skillet, add the onions and scallion to the vegetable oil and saute until soft.
You'll need three bowls for the next part!
In one bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, beat the eggs. In the smallest bowl (I used a mug) stir the honey into the melted butter.
Stir the honey-butter mix into the beaten eggs.
Stir the egg mix into the well-soaked cornmeal.
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry mixture. It was a bit much for my whisk; I preferred beating it with a spoon. I don't use a blender, so I can't comment on how that might affect the outcome. Mix thoroughly, until you have a smooth, lump-free batter.
Grease a 9x13 baking pan. Pour in the batter. Bake 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted to test it comes out dry. Let it cool for as long as you can stand it before tearing in. If you want it to look pretty, garnish with scallion slices.
NOTES:
If you don't have buttermilk on hand (I didn't) you can make your own by combining 1 T white vinegar with enough milk to make a cup. You can also substitute 1 T of lemon juice for the vinegar.
Several of the recipes I based this on had bacon and/or corn added. Neither appear in the dish I was trying to copy; but if you want to add them, I would fry the bacon first, and then use the grease to saute the onion and to grease the pan. If you want to add frozen or canned corn, I would fold it in with the wet ingredients. Since corn is naturally sweet, I'd cut back on the sugar a bit.
Okay, dear readers, your turn. Share your yummy breakfast recipes with the rest of us!
