A story and a batch of cornbread created classroom community for Brent Peters and his students at Fernville High School in Louisville, Kentucky. Read his narrative “My Food Lit Class ‘Smells Like Corn'” in the September 2017 Council Chronicle. Read the recipe, shared by Brent’s wife Emily, right here!
Emily Peters’s Cornbread Pudding
makes 12–16 pieces
Our infamous cornbread! This creamy cornbread is popped on every plate that leaves our kitchen. We make two to four pans each morning, depending on how busy we predict we’ll be. At the cafe, we leave the cheddar cheese off to make it easier to cut into small pieces but do add it yourself, it is delicious. The cornbread can be made ahead of time and reheated, but is the best served fresh from the oven.
1 large onion, diced 2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons milk
2 large eggs
2 (8½-ounce) boxes yellow corn muffin mix, such as Jiffy 1 (14¼-ounce) cans cream style corn
4-ounce can diced green chilies, drained 1/4 cup chopped pimentos
1/3 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, optional
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
Melt the butter in a small pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until opaque, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a medium bowl, stir together milk, eggs, cornbread mix, creamed corn, chilies, and pimentos. Pour the cornbread mixture into the greased pan.
Spoon the sautéed onions and sour cream onto the cornbread mixture and swirl throughout, as if you were making a marble cake. Top with cheese, if desired.
Bake 35-40 minutes. Let the cornbread cool for 10 minutes or more before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Refrigerate for up to 1 day or freeze for up to 6 months. Reheat an entire pan at 350 for 20 minutes or in pieces in the microwave.
