Artificial Flavors Free Classic Spoon Bread
Spoon bread sits somewhere between a soufflé and a cornbread, and this classic version is the kind of dish that makes people lean in and ask what on earth you just made. The ingredient list is refreshingly short and completely straightforward — whole milk, stone-ground white cornmeal, eggs, butter, and a handful of pantry staples, nothing more. For anyone trying to avoid artificial flavors, that simplicity is the whole point: every bit of taste here comes from real food doing its job. The technique is what makes it special — cooking the cornmeal into a thick porridge first, then folding in whipped egg whites, gives the finished dish a custardy, cloud-like interior with a deep golden crust on top. It puffs up beautifully in the oven and needs to go straight from the baking dish to the table, which honestly just adds to the drama. Scoop it out like a soft, savory pudding and serve it alongside roasted meats, braised greens, or anything that could use something warm and pillowy to soak up the juices.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup stone-ground white cornmeal
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3 large eggs, separated
- 1 tsp baking powder
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Generously butter a 2-quart baking dish and set aside.
- 2
Combine the milk, water, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Whisk in the cornmeal in a slow, steady stream, then reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until the mixture thickens to a stiff porridge and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
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