Spoon bread is a classic Southern dish traditionally served hot with butter. Made with milk and cornmeal, it makes an excellent alternative to cornbread.
Recently, my family and I visited Williamsburg, Virginia to have dinner at Christiana Campbell’s Tavern – which was reportedly frequented by George Washington back then. We had an excellent meal here – make sure to order the spoon bread!
Cornmeal
A delicious Southern classic, this classic spoon bread recipe is easy to make and the perfect accompaniment to any meal. It only takes a few minutes to mix everything together with only common ingredients needed.
Cornmeal is a coarse flour made from corn kernels that varies in consistency from medium to coarse (or rough). It’s often used in dishes like polenta and grits as well as many others for texture, flavor and added crunch. Plus it gives your food an irresistibly nutty aroma!
It is a popular ingredient in some fried foods and helps prevent baked goods from breaking when reheated or fried. Furthermore, its high fiber content has numerous health benefits as it promotes gut health.
Cornmeal contains dietary fibre that may aid in constipation relief and weight loss by keeping us fuller for longer periods of time and increasing satiety.
Cornmeal can be purchased from many sources, such as grocery stores or online. Traditionally soaked and slowly cooked to make grits or polenta, you can also make it yourself by grinding corn kernels with water in a blender or food processor.
This classic Williamsburg spoon bread recipe calls for cornmeal mush, which adds extra moisture. It’s then whipped and folded with egg whites before being poured into a casserole dish and baked.
This recipe is incredibly quick and simple to prepare, featuring buttermilk, baking soda and sugar. It works great as either a side dish or accompaniment for fried chicken, pork chops, collard greens, black-eyed peas and other southern main dishes.
Butter
Butter is a yellow-to-white solid emulsion of fat globules, water and inorganic salts created by churning the cream from cow’s milk. It’s widely used in northern European and North American cuisines as well as traditional Asian cooking techniques.
Butter has an irresistibly buttery flavor and a velvety consistency when baked, making it ideal for sweet treats like ice cream or muffins. As an versatile cooking fat that won’t burn when heated to high temperatures, butter can also be used for sauteing or frying foods like chicken and vegetables.
Pasteurized butter, or cultured cream butter, has a slightly soured flavor and higher butterfat content than standard butter. It makes baking easier as it doesn’t dry out the bread as quickly and produces flaky pastries and lighter cakes with more air bubbles.
Salted butter is a popular option in some countries as it adds an irresistible kick of salt to dishes, helping them season nicely. You can add it to a dish before it’s cooked or serve on top to impart extra flavor and moisture.
Salt in butter acts as a preservative, extending its shelf life by several months. Unsalted butter can be used on its own or flavored with spices, herbs and other ingredients for an enhanced flavor profile.
Spoon bread is a beloved Southern breakfast that’s best enjoyed on cold days. It’s easy to make and served warm with butter on top for an irresistible treat.
This Williamsburg spoon bread recipe is the perfect way to bring back memories of childhood and enjoy the flavor of the south. Enjoy it warm or at room temperature.
Eggs
Eggs are an old standby in many families, lending dishes their characteristic richness, color and texture. Here, eggs are used to craft a cornmeal cornbread casserole that promises to please even the pickiest palates.
The best part is that this recipe requires minimal prep work and can be prepared ahead of time, then baked quickly. To save yourself some time and hassle, consider prepping a batch of this creamy cornbread in advance; it’s especially useful if serving an extensive group.
Williamsburg spoon bread has been around for a while, but it still makes my list when I’m in need of something warm and gooey with an appetite for something savory. This classic Southern recipe is sure to please any dinner table – and it always leaves everyone with a lasting impression!
Milk
Spoon bread is a beloved Southern dish reminiscent of cornbread, grits and souffle. It has an almost pudding-like consistency with a slightly sweet flavor – perfect for any gathering! Plus, it’s simple to make so you don’t miss out on this comforting side dish!
It contains nine essential nutrients and is an excellent source of high-quality protein. Furthermore, it’s packed with vitamins and minerals like calcium, vitamin D, phosphorus, and potassium for added nutritional support.
Milk has been consumed for millennia and featured in many sacred texts. In many cultures, especially Western ones, it is seen as a sign of fertility and abundance. In some countries, people have even been drinking milk since infancy.
Cow’s milk is not only a staple for infants, but it can be an integral part of adult nutrition as well. It provides protein and essential dairy fats at no additional cost – though it does contain small amounts of trans fats.
Whole milk is an excellent source of saturated fats, which have been linked to heart health. Additionally, it contains some polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids for added nutritional benefits.
Fat of this type is found in many animal and plant products, such as cheeses, ice creams, soups, yogurts and desserts. Additionally, it’s used in the production of powdered milk and steamed milk.
It comes in a range of forms and sizes, from small snack-sized cartons to large 1 liter bottles. You can usually find it at convenience stores, grocery stores and supermarkets.
It is best to store milk at a temperature of 40 F or lower. Over time, milk may lose its freshness and flavor; thus, it should be consumed within several days of the sell-by date on the label.
Sugar
If you’re a fan of the beloved Southern dish, spoon bread, then you know it’s made with cornmeal and has an almost pudding-like consistency – similar to British Yorkshire pudding. Eating this slightly sweet pudding requires using a spoon (just like British Yorkshire pudding!).
The recipe for williamsburg spoon bread, originally known as batter bread, can be found in Mary Randolph’s 1824 cookbook The Virginia Housewife. This staple dish of Colonial America’s enslaved populations became increasingly popular around the turn of the 20th century.
Spoon bread is a quick, light bread with an irresistibly creamy consistency reminiscent of souffle, the type of dessert made with cornmeal and other ingredients. Not only is it simple to make with only some common pantry items needed for ingredients, but it makes an excellent side dish for many meals.
Sugar is a naturally occurring compound found in fruits, vegetables, dairy products and nuts. It’s extracted from these ingredients and added to foods as a sweetener.
Three simple sugars — glucose, fructose and galactose — form all carbohydrates in the human body. They come together in different combinations to form more complex carbohydrate molecules that are essential for life.
Sugars come in many varieties, each offering a distinct level of sweetness and calorie content. Some are naturally occurring such as those found in sugar beets and cane; they may be extracted from these plants and added to foods; or they can be manmade using various plant and dairy ingredients as the starting point. High-fructose corn syrup, for instance, has lower calories than table sugar yet still provides ample glucose and fructose for energy for the body.