Caramelized Onion and Scallion Cornbread

RECIPE AUTHOR: Chrystal Baker with Kwanzaa Culinarians

Serves 15 to 18

INGREDIENTS:

• Floured baking spray
• 1½ cups yellow cornmeal
• 1½ cups flour
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ¼ cup sour cream, at room temperature
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly whisked
• 2½ cups buttermilk, at room temperature
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• ¼ cup bacon grease or vegetable oil, melted and cooled
• ⅔ cup caramelized onions*
• ½ cup sliced scallions

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a 9” x 13” x 3” baking dish with parchment paper, then spray with floured baking spray. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, eggs, buttermilk, butter and bacon grease. Stir in the onions and scallions.
• Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined, making sure not to over mix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Cover with foil if the top browns quickly. Cool slightly in the pan before slicing.
• *For the caramelized onions, half and thinly slice two large brown onions. In a large sauce pan, cook the onions with 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium low heat for approximately 90 minutes, or until deep golden brown. Keep covered with a lid during cooking, and stir every 15-20 minutes to check color and texture. Feel free to reduce the heat to low, although that may extend the cooking time by another 15-20 minutes.

Notes
Adapted from Martha Stewart