Spoonbread began as a simple idea: take everyone’s favorite side dish, cornbread, and make it even better. Best Spoon Bread continues that tradition in style! The sweet summer flavor of corn is still there, but mixed with fluffy, hearty quinoa for extra energy and plenty of fresh, crisp-yet-tender fruits and vegetables to get the tastebuds dancing and the soul invigorated! This is a beautiful accompaniment to pork chops, roasted chicken, or even a country steak! The possibilities are as endless as the savory flavor of the Best Spoon Bread is deep. Mmmm, maybe we should just skip the main course and eat this instead!
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup water
- 1/3 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 small apple, peeled and diced
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 small parsnip, peeled and diced
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, minced
- 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups 2% milk, divided
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Step 2 –Grease an 8-inch square baking dish.
Step 3 –In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil.
Step 4 –Add the quinoa to the boiling water.
Step 5 –Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the saucepan.
Step 6 –Cook until the quinoa absorbs the liquid, about 12-15 minutes.
Step 7 –Fluff the quinoa with a fork and allow it to cool slightly.
Step 8 –In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil.
Step 9 –To the hot oil add the apple, the onion, the parsnip, the celery seed, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and cook until the fruits and vegetables are softened, about 4-5 minutes.
Step 10 –Transfer the skillet from the heat.
Step 11 –Stir the sage into the apple mixture.
Step 12 –In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, the flour, the sugar, the baking powder, and the remaining salt.
Step 13 –In another bowl, whisk together the egg and 1 cup of the milk.
Step 14 –Add the egg mixture to the cornmeal mixture, stirring just until moistened.
Step 15 –Fold the quinoa and the apple mixture into the cornmeal mixture.
Step 16 –Transfer the mixture to the baking dish.
Step 17 –Pour the remaining milk over the top of the mixture.
Step 18 –Bake, uncovered, until the edges are golden brown, about 25-30 minutes.
Step 19 –Let stand for 5 minutes.
Step 20 –Serve.