No matter how you categorize it, spoon bread is very Southern and very delicious! There are many types of spoon breads, the most basic having nothing but a nice cornmeal taste. This sausage and Cheddar version has plenty of flavor, even with less butter than traditional recipes and no sugar. You won’t miss either!
Ingredients
- Oil mister or cooking spray
- 1 pound breakfast sausage, crumbled
- ½ medium onion, finely chopped
- 3½ cups whole milk
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1½ cups fine yellow cornmeal
- 5 large eggs, beaten
- 1½ cups grated Cheddar cheese
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly spray a 9 × 13-inch baking dish with oil.
- In a medium skillet set over medium heat, cook the sausage, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until it begins to render its fat, about 3 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until the onion is soft and translucent and the sausage has browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage and onion to a large bowl.
- In a 3-quart saucepan set over medium-low heat, bring the milk and butter to a simmer. Whisk in the cornmeal and cook, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps from forming, until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour the cornmeal into the bowl with the sausage and onion. Stir well. Let cool completely, about 10 minutes.
- Fold the eggs and cheese into the cooled cornmeal mixture and pour it all into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake until puffy, lightly browned, and set completely in the middle, about 30 minutes.