Happy New Year! I can’t believe it is 2023. Wow. As my mother always said, time passes fast when you are having fun.

Here is a great southern cornbread recipe. It’s delicious and it’s best baked in an iron skillet. But if you don’t have an iron skillet, a 9-inch by 12-inch baking pan will do just fine. I hope you enjoy.

As for the ribs and sour kraut, I buy the kraut in a bag or you can buy it in a jar and put it in a roaster and put the ribs on top of the kraut and bake on 350 degrees for at least 2.5 hours. Keep checking to see if the ribs are falling off the bone. I like my kraut to get brown on top.

Everyone has traditions for their New Year’s meal. Mine as always been ribs and sour kraut with mashed potatoes and corn bread and, of course, a pie. It’s supposed to be good luck. Also, some believe you must have black eyed peas or greens, which represents money. Who knows, but we still like to keep our traditions and it’s fun to do so. As for me, I will still have my ribs and kraut and I must have my cornbread.

Whatever you decided, even if it was a bologna sandwich, which I also like … happy New Year, and thank you for reading In the Kitchen with Sharon. Stay tuned for 2023 recipes and see who’s In the Kitchen with Sharon.

Please send me your favorite recipes. Send them, along with a story about the recipe if you’d like to share one, to shughes@timesgazette or call me at 937-393-3456.

SOUTHERN CORNBREAD

Ingredients

5 cups self-rising cornmeal mix. I use Aunt Jemima.

5 tbsp. all purpose flour

5 tsp. granulated sugar

2.5 cups whole milk, room temperature

6 large eggs, room temperature and beaten

8 ounces sour cream, room temperature

1/2 cup salted butter, melted

1/3 cup vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour and sugar.

3. Add milk to beaten eggs then add egg mixture to dry ingredients.

4. Next add sour cream and whisk together, and finally add melted butter and whisk until well combined. Consistency will be slightly runny.

5. heat a very large 17-inch cast iron skillet over high heat on the stove. tip: Add a few droplets of water and once the water dances in the skillet, it is ready.

6. Once ready, add vegetable oil to skillet and remove pan from heat.

7. Pour cornbread mixture into skillet (oil will bubble) and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out slightly clean (make sure no to over bake and dry out the cornbread too much) and is golden brown.

8. Remove skillet from the oven and let it cool for 20 minutes before releasing from the pan.

9. All cornbread to cool to room temperature.

Sharon Hughes is the advertising manager at The Times-Gazette. She is also a mother, grandmother and chef.