Bacon Corn Bread
By: Helen Pitlick
Published: Friday, December 10, 2010 - 1:02am

Ingredients




1/2 cup pan-fried bacon, crumbled
1 1/2 cups cups yellow cornmeal
2 eggs, beaten lightly
1/4 cup bacon fat (use butter for remainder, if less than 1/4 cup)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 tbs baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups buttermilk or plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup maple syrup

Preparation

1 Cook the bacon until crisp. Reserve the fat. Chop the bacon; set aside. 2  	

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with bacon fat or a 12 inch cast iron skillet. 3 Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. 4  	

In another bowl, combine the wet ingredients and stir until mixed. 5  	

Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients; stir in the bacon.  6 Smooth the batter into the baking pan or skillet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the corn bread to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

About


Bacon was one meat that would keep fairly well during the long trip on the trail, providing you kept it in bags surrounded by bran. The bran would help prevent the bacon fat from melting under the heat of the prairie sun. This dish offers a new flavor, which must have been truly delicious after a day in that wagon!