Spoonbread is a cornmeal-based dish that is more of a pudding than a bread. It's a Southern tradition, and there are even spoonbread 'cook-offs' in Kentucky to see who has the best recipe.

Here is a fairly typical recipe from my Shawsville, Virginia church lady cookbook:

Virginia Spoonbread
3/4 cup corn meal
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

Mix corn meal and salt together. Scald with the boiling water, add butter and mix well. Beat the eggs. Add the milk and mix well. Combine mixtures and blend. Add the baking powder. Mix well and pour into a greased baking dish. Bake 30 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees. (I stirred in 3/4 of a can of cream style corn and some cooked crumbled bacon. It took a little bit longer to bake.)

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Some folks add cheddar cheese and/or diced green chilies.
Chili Cheese Spoonbread

1 cup milk
1/2 cup corn meal (coarse-ground or regular)
Butter, the size of a walnut
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs, well-beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Chopped green chilies
1/2 cup Cheddar cheese soup, undiluted

Stir the cornmeal into the milk and let mixture come to boil, making a mush. Stir constantly while it is cooking. When it is thick (if using coarse-ground, it may still be a little bit crunchy), remove from the heat and add the butter, 1/2 cup milk and eggs. Stir in the salt and baking powder, then the chilies and cheese . Bake in a 1 1/2 quart greased casserole for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.


I cut this next recipe in half. The original makes 8 to 10 servings.

Sweet Potato Spoonbread

2 large sweet potatoes, baked until tender, peeled, and mashed
2 tablespoons yellow corn meal
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons light-brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons honey
2 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan over medium heat combine cornmeal, milk, butter, brown sugar, spices, salt, and 1/2 cup water. Cook, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Let cool. Butter a 1-quart baking dish. Place cornmeal mixture, sweet potatoes, flour, honey, eggs, and cream in a food processor. Process until smooth; pour into dish. Bake until golden brown, about 30 to 45 minutes. Serve.