Cornbread Croutons

link to original recipe

Note: Make cornbread at least a day in advance.

Ingredients:

2 cups cubed (about 1-inch pieces) Day-Old Cornbread

½ teaspoon Black Pepper

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

½ teaspoon Salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Place cornbread cubes, pepper, olive oil, and salt in a medium bowl. Gently toss to coat, being careful to keep cubes intact. Arrange 1 inch apart on a small baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and crispy, 20-25 minutes, turning cubes once halfway through cook time. Cool slightly, about 10 minutes.

Final Notes:

The original recipe says to bake for 15 minutes, but my croutons were still soft even after cooling down, so I increased the cook time.

---

Buttermilk Cornbread recipe

Ingredients:

1½ cups Cornmeal

1 cup All-Purpose Flour ⅓ cup Sugar 4 teaspoons Baking Powder 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt

2 cups Buttermilk

1 large Egg

6 tablespoons melted, Unsalted Butter, divided in two

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Place an oven-proof 10-inch cast iron skillet in the oven.

In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg and 3 tablespoons butter. Pour mixture over dry ingredients and stir using a rubber spatula just until moist.

Remove skillet from the oven and add remaining 3 tablespoons until heated through, about 1-2 minutes.

Working carefully, immediately scoop the batter into the hot skillet. Place into oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.