Onion Shortcake
My mother-in-law made this really unusual dish on our last visit, and it was all we wanted to eat Baked cornbread surrounds a creamy pile of sweet onions and cheese what can be bad about that Delicious with veggie chili, and the leftovers are great for breakfast - seriously
My mother-in-law made this really unusual dish on our last visit, and it was all we wanted to eat Baked cornbread surrounds a creamy pile of sweet onions and cheese what can be bad about that Delicious with veggie chili, and the leftovers are great for breakfast - seriously
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg slightly beaten
- 2 large onions sliced thin (vidalia, if possible)
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine (1 stick)
- 8 oz sour cream
- 1/2 teaspoon dill weed
- 8 oz cheddar cheese grated and divided
- 15 can cream-style corn undrained
- 8 1/2 box cornbread mix
- hot red pepper sauce original recipe calls for 4 but i use more
- Carbohydrate 333.667952578125 g
- Cholesterol 93.3625 mg
- Fat 33.0412241666667 g
- Fiber 22.3650098641285 g
- Protein 41.7105494010417 g
- Saturated Fat 17.072293078125 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (1031g)
- Sodium 5438.08944401042 mg
- Sugar 311.302942713996 g
- Trans Fat 2.23342926432291 g
- Calories 1591 calories
Step-by-step
- Saute onions on butter until tender. Stir in sour cream, dill, salt and half the cheddar.
- In separate bowl, combine corn, milk, cornbread mix, egg and hot sauce.
- Spray baking dish with non-stick cooking spray (I've used 10" square, 11x13, and a small oval pyrex - keep in mind that the smaller your dish, the thicker the "cake" will be, and will need to cook longer!)
- Put corn mixture in dish, and use a slotted spoon to spread onion mixture over corn mixture. Top with remaining cheddar and bake at 325-350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until top is crispy and brown and center is cooked through.
Combining sweet onions and cornbread into a layered casserole draws directly from Southern baking traditions where savory vegetables temper rich, dense grains. Slicing Vidalia or similar sweet alliums thin ensures they soften quickly in fat without browning excessively. Cooking them in butter drives off excess cellular water while concentrating natural sugars. This preparation alters the texture significantly before the components ever meet the oven.
The Thermal Dynamics of Layering
Pan selection dictates final structure. Spreading the batter into a 10-inch square dish creates a thinner layer that cooks evenly within 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Deeper vessels demand extended baking times to ensure the center coagulates properly. Slotted spoons remove the cooked onions from surplus butter before they join the corn base. This prevents grease pools that block the cornbread mix from setting into a firm, porous crumb. Sour cream and sharp cheddar introduce moisture and acidity, balancing the dense starches of cream-style corn.Adjusting Fats and Starches
Margarine serves as a direct substitute for butter at a one-to-one ratio, though dairy fats yield superior browning due to milk solids. Swapping out whole milk for plant-based alternatives alters hydration levels in the boxed mix, potentially requiring adjustments to baking duration. Residual heat finishes cooking the center after removal from the oven once the crust turns golden brown.
