I tried Ina Garten’s easy corn bread. The dish was so perfect that I now make it for every Thanksgiving.
In a delightful homage to culinary icon Ina Garten, Anneta Konstantinides shares her experience with Garten’s brown-butter skillet corn bread, a recipe that has become a staple at her Thanksgiving celebrations. Initially inspired by a Friendsgiving gathering, Konstantinides turned to Garten’s cookbooks, which have transformed her from a novice cook into a confident home chef. The brown-butter skillet corn bread, which is featured in the reissued version of “The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook,” is lauded for its moist texture and perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors. Garten, known for her approachable yet elegant recipes, notes that her version of corn bread was inspired by a recipe from Melissa Clark of The New York Times, and she claims it to be the best corn bread she’s ever made.
The recipe is straightforward and relies on a handful of basic ingredients, including all-purpose flour, whole milk, fine cornmeal, sugar, unsalted butter, eggs, baking powder, and kosher salt. Konstantinides describes the process of making the corn bread, emphasizing the importance of browning the butter carefully to bring out its rich flavor. After mixing the wet and dry ingredients, the batter is allowed to rest, a step Garten insists is crucial for achieving the best texture. Once baked, the corn bread emerges from the oven with a beautiful golden hue, and its moist, fluffy interior quickly earns rave reviews from friends and family alike. Konstantinides captures the essence of the dish, noting that it not only served as a stunning centerpiece at the Thanksgiving table but also received enthusiastic praise from her guests, solidifying its place in her holiday repertoire.
Overall, Konstantinides’ experience with Garten’s corn bread exemplifies how a simple recipe can elevate a gathering, creating lasting memories around the dinner table. The combination of ease and deliciousness makes this dish perfect for both seasoned cooks and kitchen novices. As she reflects on her journey from struggling with ramen to mastering holiday classics, Konstantinides emphasizes the joy and satisfaction that comes from cooking and sharing good food, highlighting how Garten’s recipes have played a pivotal role in her culinary evolution. With its rich flavors and comforting texture, Ina Garten’s brown-butter skillet corn bread is not just a dish; it’s a celebration of the warmth and togetherness that Thanksgiving embodies.
I tried Ina Garten’s easy corn bread years ago. Now I make it for every Thanksgiving.
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
I made Ina Garten’s recipe for brown-butter skillet corn bread.Â
It was deliciously moist, with the perfect combination of sweet and savory flavors.Â
The corn bread was a hit at Friendsgiving years ago. Now I make the dish for every Thanksgiving.
With the help of Ina Garten’s cookbooks, I’ve turned from a ramen-burning amateur to someone who can serve
pasta dishes
that her friends will actually eat.Â
So, when I decided to cook a few dishes for Friendsgiving, there was no question that the
“Barefoot Contessa” star
would be my source of inspiration.
As a huge pasta lover, I knew I had to test Garten’s recipe for overnight
mac and cheese
. And I’m a firm believer that no Thanksgiving table is complete without carbs, so I also made her
Parmesan smashed potatoes
.Â
That already seemed like plenty. But when I stumbled on a photo of Garten’s brown-butter skillet corn bread, I knew I had to add it to the menu.Â
Ina Garten’s brown-butter skillet corn bread is a bonus recipe in the reissue of her first cookbook.
Peter Kramer/NBC/NBC Newswire/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
I found the corn bread recipe while leafing through the republished version of “The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook,” which originally came out in 1999, and knew it’d be perfect for Friendsgiving.Â
In the description of the dish, Garten says she was inspired by The New York Times’ Melissa Clark’s
corn bread with brown butter
.Â
“Since I can’t pass up any recipe for corn bread, I decided to test mine with brown butter too,” Garten writes. “Best corn bread I’ve ever made!”Â
That was all I needed to hear — time to get baking!Â
Garten’s brown-butter skillet corn bread needs only a few basic ingredients.
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
To make Garten’s corn bread, which serves 10 to 12 people, you’ll need:Â
3 cups of all-purpose flour
2 cups of whole milkÂ
1 cup of fine cornmeal (Garten says this makes moister corn bread than medium grind)
1 cup of sugarÂ
½ pound of unsalted butterÂ
2 extra-large eggs, lightly beatenÂ
2 tablespoons of baking powderÂ
I began by melting my butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
I continued to heat the butter until it became browned but not burned, listening to Garten’s advice to “watch it very carefully!”Â
Once the butter was ready, I poured it into a medium bowl and added my milk.
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
I whisked the milk into the butter, according to Garten’s recipe.Â
Then, I cracked my two eggs into the bowl.
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
I have to admit, I forgot to lightly beat the eggs together before throwing them into the mixture — but it didn’t seem to affect the corn bread in any way.Â
I added my dry ingredients to a separate bowl.
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
I added the flour, sugar, and cornmeal, as well as the baking powder and some kosher salt.Â
I whisked all the dry ingredients together, then made a well in the middle.
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
Barely five minutes had passed, and my batter was almost ready.Â
Then, I poured the butter and milk mixture into the well.
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
Per Garten’s instructions, I stirred everything together with a rubber spatula until it was just combined. The “Barefoot Contessa” star notes that it’s OK if the batter looks a little lumpy.Â
My batter was almost ready! But first, it needed to rest a little (so relatable).
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
Garten’s recipe calls for the batter to sit for 15 minutes. She said this step is essential to getting the best corn bread possible, so don’t try to skip it.
Once the 15 minutes were up, I poured my batter into the skillet.
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
Make sure you don’t wipe out your cast-iron skillet after melting the butter. Just throw the batter right in!Â
I smoothed the top, sprinkled it with sea salt, and threw the cast-iron skillet into the oven.
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
Garten’s recipe says to bake the corn bread for 35 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. After 35 minutes, I stuck a knife in the middle, and it came out clean, so I knew it was ready.Â
One thing to note: If you’re using an 11 ½-inch skillet, Garten recommends baking your corn bread for only 25 to 30 minutes.Â
My corn bread came out a gorgeous golden brown.
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
Garten’s brown-butter skillet corn bread definitely makes for a gorgeous centerpiece at the Thanksgiving table (we all know no one really cares about the turkey).Â
But would it taste as good as it looked?Â
You could feel how moist the corn bread was just by cutting into it. Everyone at the table agreed it was one of the best they had ever tasted.
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
I could write an essay on how much I love this corn bread. It was so moist and fluffy, with the sweet and savory elements working together in perfect harmony. We were all stuffed, but everyone at the table couldn’t resist getting seconds of the bread.Â
“The salt really brought out all the flavors,” my friend Oliver said. “10/10, would recommend.”Â
“So delicious,” my fellow taste tester Kayla added. “The outside had a nice salty and crunchy texture, while the inside was moist and sweet.”Â
I love Garten’s corn bread. Now I make it for every Thanksgiving.
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
There’s no doubt in my mind that Garten’s brown-butter skillet corn bread was the star of Friendsgiving. It was perfectly baked and still tasted just as moist when we ate leftovers on the second and third days.
And for a novice cook like me who never bakes, I couldn’t believe how easy and foolproof it was to make. Seeing that corn bread come out of the oven, so beautiful and golden, made me feel like I was about to get a Paul Hollywood handshake.  Â
Garten’s recipe has won a permanent spot in my holiday cooking repertoire.Â
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