Dad's Cornbread for #FathersDay #SundaySupper

Cornbread in an iron skillet

How are you celebrating Father's Day? Until this year my family has gathered together over a good meal. Sometimes it has been at a restaurant and other times at home. This year is different. It is the first Father's Day without my dad. He passed away last October after living a good long life of 82 years. It still seems like he left too early though. So this year I am remembering him and sharing his recipe for cornbread. My dad got the recipe from his father which is why it is the one I picked for this post.

My dad liked to cook. He cooked the meals during the week. I learned a lot about cooking from him. I remember being in the kitchen with him watching as he prepared dinner. He also would make pancakes and waffles for breakfast on Sunday. He did all the grilling. One of my favorite of his recipes is beef stew and he would always make cornbread or cornbread muffins to go with it.

My dad liked to garden. He had a natural green thumb. I always said he could take a dead twig and turn it into a thriving plant in no time at all. He planted a full garden every year and the tomatoes were the best. And so was everything else he had planted. He loved roses and planted many of them around the house. He took hundreds, if not thousands, of photographs of flowers.

My dad liked to tinker with things. He was a true handyman. He could fix just about anything. When he retired he started doing odd handyman jobs to earn "pocket money" even though he did not need it. I know he did it for fun. He had an arsenal of tools and his collection was incredible.

My dad never knew a stranger. He would strike up a conversation with anyone and anywhere. The number of friends he made is countless. He was genuine and made people feel comfortable. He would be there if you needed him.

Most of all, my dad loved to fly. He was a private pilot. I spent many Saturdays at the airport with him when I was young. He took any opportunity to fly or to give someone their first ride in a plane. One time he flew me to another city so I could play in the snow. He volunteered for the Young Eagles to get children interested in aviation.

My father in his plane

I miss my dad very much. My love of cooking, gardening, and so many more things came from him. Each time I cook one of his recipes I feel as though he is in the kitchen beside me. His cornbread brings back wonderful memories. I baked it in a cast iron skillet as he did. My skillet is a 9-inch one so the cornbread came out a little thinner (I think he used an 8-inch one). He would also use the same recipe for muffins.

Cornbread slices on a plate

What is the fondest memory you have of your father? I bet just thinking of it made you smile! Please share it in the comments below. I do enjoy reading and hearing about special family moments.

Cornbread in an iron skilet
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5 from 1 vote

Dad's Cornbread

Dad's Cornbread is a southern family recipe handed down through generations. Serve it with chili, pinto beans, greens, and many more meals.
Course Bread
Cuisine American Southern
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 8 to 10 servings
Author Renee Dobbs

Ingredients

  • 1 cup self-rising cornmeal
  • ¾ cup self-rising flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • ¾ cup milk
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
  • 1 large or extra-large egg

Instructions

For baking in a cast iron skillet:

  • Place an 8 or 9-inch cast iron skillet in the oven. Pre-heat the oven to 385°F. Wait for the oven to be fully heated before mixing batter.
  • In a medium bowl, stir or whisk together the cornmeal, flour, and sugar.
  • In a small bowl or 2-cup measuring cup, stir together milk, oil, and egg with a fork to break up the egg and combine.
  • Add the milk mixture to the cornmeal mixture and stir until ingredients are combined. (Do not over-mix).
  • Take the skillet out of the oven and add 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet. Swirl around to coat the skillet with oil. Add the cornbread batter to the skillet and return it to the oven.
  • Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the edges are browned. Set the oven to broil and broil until the top is browned. Watch during the broiling process so you do not burn the cornbread. Remove cornbread from the oven and transfer cornbread to a serving plate. Serve warm.

For baking in a cake pan:

  • Preheat the oven to 385°F. Grease an 8 or 9-inch cake pan. Dust the cake pan with cornmeal.
  • In a medium bowl, stir or whisk together the cornmeal, flour, and sugar.
  • In a small bowl or 2-cup measure, stir together the milk, oil, and egg with a fork to break up the egg and combine.
  • Add the milk mixture to the cornmeal mixture and stir until ingredients are combined. (Do not over-mix).
  • Pour the cornbread batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the edges are browned.
  • Set the oven to broil and broil until the top is browned. Watch during the broiling process so you do not burn the cornbread. Remove from the oven and transfer cornbread to a serving plate. Serve warm.

Notes

Dad's Cornbread is a southern family recipe handed down through generations. Serve it with chili, pinto beans, greens, and many more meals.

Dad's Cornbread is a southern family recipe handed down through generations. Serve it with chili, pinto beans, greens, and many more meals.

There are many more people honoring fathers today. The Sunday Supper tastmakers are sharing recipes and stories of their dads or the dads in their family. I cannot wait to read every one of the posts. Join me, will you? Each one is only a click away:

Father's Day Brunch:

Dad's Favorite Soup, Salads and Bread:

  • Phil's Pasta Tuna Salad - The Watering Mouth 
  • Simple German Potato Salad and Wiener Wursts - The German Foodie
  • Roasted Beet Soup - Vintage Kitchen Notes
  • Dad's Cornbread - Magnolia Days

Father's Day Favorite Main Dishes:

Dad's Sweet Tooth:

Wine Pairings for Father's Day ENOFYLZ

Sunday Supper MovementJoin the #SundaySupper family on twitter every Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the conversation. To get more great Sunday Supper recipes, visit the Sunday Supper Movement website or check out our Sunday Supper Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It's easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

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56 Comments

  1. What a great tribute to your dad, Renee...I know this must be a hard day for you.

    Your cornbread looks wonderful...I need to try it in a cast iron skillet. Such a lovely presentation~

    1. I have many memories of my dad cooking with a cast iron skillet. This is the most special of all to me. Presentation is nice but the crust the hot skillet gives on the bottom is really what makes it good.

  2. what a sweet tribute to your Dad! I'm sorry about your recent loss of him - I couldn't imagine my first Father's Day without mine will be like. The cornbread looks and sounds amazing.

  3. What a lovely tribute to your Dad Renee!I love cornbread and this version sounds so so delicous!!Thanks for sharing 🙂

  4. Beautiful piece Renee, the tribute to your dad is lovely ! Love cornbread and will try out this recipe ! Never made home made corn bread except from a box 🙂 This looks delish !

    1. No more cornbread from boxes for you! This is just too easy and tastes much better than those store-bought mixes.

  5. This is a beautiful post Renee. Your dad sounds like a wonderful man and I'm sure he'd love you sharing his cornbread recipe today!

  6. What a great memorable post about your dad. Sending you lots of hugs and love on this day.

    And this cornbread? Well, it should go without saying that I'm making this! YUM!

  7. I love baking in my cast iron skillet. Heck, I love cooking almost anything in my cast iron skillet. The corn bread looks delicious, and corn bread is definitely a favorite in my house (my husband's family hails from Tennessee). I usually don't use self-rising flours, though. Can I add, say, 2 teaspoons of baking powder instead?

    1. I only use self-rising flour for some of the old recipes. I like to keep them as original as possible. It is interesting how many of the old southern quick breads like biscuits and cornbread call for self-rising.

  8. What a lovely tribute to your father! I'm such a fan of cornbread, and love it baked in a cast iron skillet. It's so rustic looking.

  9. Hey Renee,
    I love your post, and nearly came to tears when I read that your father flew you in his plane to another city so you could play in snow. I connect with your post because cornbread was the first "dish" I was taught to cook. Your dad was so well rounded, and I love the photo of him in the plane. Thanks for sharing this special post.

    Alaiyo

    1. My dad was a very special man. There were so many other great things about him. One day I will have to continue this post to share more.

  10. Your father sounds like an amazing man. Thank you for sharing! Bet your cornbread is delicious! This recipe works perfectly in our family too!

  11. One more thing: if you have time, come back to my post as I've added a photo of my dad in his kitchen (took me a while to find the file).

    Alaiyo

  12. This is so beautiful!
    What a great Dad you've been blessed with. He took you for a plane ride so you could go play in the snow....
    It's a tribute to him that you share many of his passions, gardening, food and family.
    Cheers to your Dad today!

  13. Such wonderful Memories, Renee. Your father reminds me of mine, so I'm reading your post with a very fond heart. Such a lovely recipe to remind us of him. This cornbread looks absolutely delish! Sending hugs your way, Renee!

  14. What lovely memories of your Dad and what a nice way to remember him - I love that food can bring back so many warm memories 🙂

  15. What a wonderful post filled with so many amazing memories of your father. Your cornbread look delicious as well.

  16. What a great memory of your dad! And I love a good skillet cornbread. Now to make some. We never make it in the skillet.

  17. What a nice post. It´s nice to hear about your dad living his life in full. The cornbread looks great and kind of goes with your story of him. I like his picture, my dad´s a pilot too!

  18. Your post made me cry. Seriously. I know how you feel, I lost my dad last December at the age of 85. They are never around long enough. And I can see now where you got your love for cooking, gardening and photography! Love the natural light in your skillet photo, btw.

    1. Sorry for your loss Sofie. It seems living 80+ years is a lot until they are gone and then it is just too short. Thanks for the compliment on the photo. I captured it right before sunset.

  19. Such a beautiful post to honor your father! The cornbread looks fabulous, no wonder you chose to share it today!

  20. Renee, that was a lovely story to share about your dad. He sounded like a great guy and the way you talk about him reminded me a lot of my grandpa.

    I love making cornbread in a cast iron skillet, I don't believe there is really any other way 🙂

  21. Your dad sounds like an amazing person, Renee. His cornbread recipe sounds yummy. It's so nice that you have such wonderful memories that you keep in your heart.

  22. such a lovely, awesome tribute to your father, renee. and his cornbread sounds absolutely delicious!

  23. Renee, I've been sick and quite honestly could not remember if I had commented or not. I know I read it but my brain is not working quite right this week. I was so moved by your post. Your dad sounds like he was an amazing man and I like that you are remembering the good times. This warmed my heart.

  24. I'm sorry to hear about your father passing this past year. Sounds like he was a great man and I love that pilot picture. Love the cornbread too. Bet he's smiling down and asking for a piece 🙂

  25. 5 stars
    Your description of your dad made me feel like I knew him. What a wonderful story to tell us about what he was like. Thank you so much for telling us. God promises that you will see him again, in heaven. Dezi

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