Skillet Ham and Cheddar Cornbread

Easy Skillet Ham and Cheddar Cornbread Recipe

I have a 10-inch cast iron skillet that my Mom gave to me several years ago. It's perfect for making cornbread like this ham, cheese and corn filled skillet cornbread. I came across my skillet while sorting through my cabinets recently and after one look it was obvious, that it needed a little TLC.  So, I set about to bring my skillet back to life. Cast iron skillets need to be used and kept "seasoned." New cast iron skillets have been pre-seasoned during manufacturing, but, if you're as fortunate as I am, to have been gifted a "hand me down" skillet you may need to bring it back to life. You can read more about seasoning cast iron on the Lodge Cast Iron website here.

Iron Skillet Ham and Cheddar Cornbread

After researching how to re-season my skillet successfully, I was chomping at the bit to give it a whirl. I decided to bake a batch of ham and cheddar cornbread to use some delectable ham I had in the freezer. If you've never cooked in cast iron, you're really in for a treat. Food actually tastes different when cooked in cast iron. Having my cast iron skillet back in circulation not only for making cornbread but also, main dish meals like my Nacho Beef Rotini Skillet and desserts like Apple Pie and more.

• Ingredients you'll need to make homemade Skillet Ham and Cheddar Cornbread: Plain white cornmeal, all purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, buttermilk, vegetable oil, vegetable shortening, large eggs, shredded cheddar cheese, whole kernel corn, cubed ham and chopped green onions.
• Kitchen gadgets you'll need: A 10 inch cast iron skillet or similar size oven safe skillet, mixing bowls, measuring cups and spoons, cheese grater, sharp knife and cutting board.
• You can bake this cornbread in a similar size oven safe skillet or baking dish.
• You can store leftover Ham and Cheddar cornbread chilled in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Reheat in the microwave in single serving portions.
• You can use another flavor of cheese in the same amount. Use Swiss cheese, Asiago, Colby or Mozzarella cheese. Cheddar is always in my fridge and works extremely well with the ham.
• You can also freeze this cornbread after baking and cooling. Wrap in freezer wrap and store for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

More Southern Style Cornbread Recipes to Make

Cornbread ties with biscuits as the beloved house breads of the South. More cornbread recipes you may also like to try:

• Cheddar Bacon Jalapeno Bacon Cornbread Loaf  is baked in a loaf pan.
• Skillet Zucchini Bacon Cornbread will have the kids eating their veggies and loving it!
• In the summer when fresh okra is is in season, it's the perfect time to make homemade Okra Cornbread.
• Kickin' Crab Corn Muffins are a fabulous and affordable way to stretch jumbo lump crab meat into more servings.
• When you need individual servings bake a batch of these Cornbread Muffins.
• The family will love this homemade Sweet Potato Cornbread in the fall.

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

• Cast Iron Skillet
• Vegetable Chopper
• Butter Crock
• Pie Server

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Skillet Ham and Cheddar Cornbread

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Resting time5 mins

Total Time55 mins

Course: Bread, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: iron-skillet-ham-cheddar-cornbread

Servings: 8 pieces

Calories: 414kcal

Author: Melissa Sperka

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon solid vegetable shortening
• 1 cup plain white cornmeal
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 3 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 ¾ cups buttermilk
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup small diced ham
• 1 ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided
• 1 cup whole kernel sweet corn
• 4 chopped green onions

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place 2 tablespoons of solid vegetable shortening into a 10 inch cast iron skillet and set it into the oven to preheat and melt the shortening.
• In a medium mixing bowl, sift together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, garlic and onion powders.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, vegetable oil and eggs until combined.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix together until all of the dry ingredients are fully moistened.
• Next, add ham, 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese, corn and green onions to the batter. Mix well.
• Remove the skillet from the oven and swirl the melted shortening around the pan coating the bottom and sides completely. Discard any excess.
• Pour the batter into the hot skillet and spread evenly. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese on top.
• Place into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
• Rest for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Notes

The process of preheating the cast iron skillet gives the cornbread an incredibly crunchy and delicious crust. If you don't have a cast iron skillet, you can use a square 8x8 inch baking dish or a deep dish 9 inch pie plate.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 414kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 685mg | Potassium: 426mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 477IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 295mg | Iron: 2mg

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