The only cornbread recipe you’ll ever need.

Cornbread is a staple in the South, so here’s how I make mine. You’ll really only need one special item, and that’s a cast iron skillet. But you should have a cast iron skillet, just for regular cooking reasons. Cast iron skillets are amazingly versatile kitchen items.

Preheat your over to 425F.

The Meal

1 1/4 cups of cornmeal
3/4 cup of flour

The Dry Stuff

2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt

Wet Stuff

2 eggs, beaten like hell
1 and 1/3 cups of milk
1 teaspoon of vinegar
8 tablespoons of butter, melted down to liquid
(I do this in the microwave under really low power, otherwise it explodes.)

The overall recipe is simple. The only thing you need to keep in mind is that you’ll need to make sure you slowly add your melted butter to your eggs, so I whisk it as I add the melted butter to the eggs. (Let the butter cool off a little bit so it’s not super-hot.) Then add your milk, combine your dry ingredients, and you’ll have a nice batter.

This is a super-versatile recipe, so if you want to chop up a couple jalapenos (fresh, not canned) and throw them into the batter, that’s perfect. I tend to leave my cornbread plain, but you can have fun with it.

Okay, last step, but it’s important: Preheat your iron skillet on your stovetop over medium heat, and then add in about a tablespoon of butter and swirl it around. Add your batter to a hot skillet. Why? Because this gives your cornbread a perfectly crispy edge, and it’s ever-so-slightly fried on the edges. Trust me, this is how you want your cornbread to be.

“But Shane, I don’t see any sugar in this recipe.” You’re right. You don’t see any sugar in this recipe, you heretic.

Bake at 425F for about 24 minutes. As soon as it’s done baking, you will need to perfect the “flipping it out” process. You’ll put a plate over the top of your skillet, and carefully, using two oven mitts, flip the cornbread so it pops out of the skillet. You need to do this, otherwise the heat from the skillet will overcook your cornbread, and it will be too dry.

Wait for your cornbread to cool, then you can slice it and serve it. It goes with just about anything.