Today, I’ve jazzed up my gluten free spoon bread recipe with rosemary and bacon. It’s a delicious side dish for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
I first had spoon bread on one of my family’s many vacations to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
We originally visited Gettysburg because we have several Civil War buffs in the family, but we soon fell in love with the little town too and returned numerous times over the years.
I’m willing to bet that we’ve read almost every one of the approximately 1,328 monuments, markers and memorials on the battlefield!
We’ve even hiked through the woods to find ones that my husband knew should be “around here somewhere”.
What is spoon bread?
One of our favorite restaurants is the historic Farnsworth House that still has bullet holes from the battle covering the walls.
The first time we went to the Farnsworth House, the waitress brought a complimentary spoon bread to the table for each of us. It looked so tempting and tasty, but we told the waitress, “We’re gluten free.”
She told us not to worry: the spoon bread recipe is made with cornmeal, eggs, salt, baking powder, butter, and milk. A delicious cross between bread pudding and a soufflé.
It turned out to be a big hit, and I’ve been making it at home ever since.
Serve this delicious spoon bread alongside any of my savory gluten-free dinner recipes.
Try it with Gluten Free Spicy Fried Pork Tenderloin, hearty rustic Gluten Free Cowboy Stew, or Brunswick Stew for a satisfying meal.
Alternatively, pair it with my Irish Nachos Topped With Corned Beef for a unique and flavorful twist.
In the original Southern Spoon Bread Recipe post, John wrote about the history of spoon bread and that some chefs are getting more creative and are starting to add different ingredients like bacon. And he wrote that bacon always sounds good to him.
So guess what?
Today I decided to make him a surprise: spoon bread with fresh rosemary and bacon!
Want to try it? Lets’s go.
Instructions
*Free printable recipe card is available at the end of the post.
First, butter your ramekins and cover the inside of each with cornmeal and set aside.
Then, simmer milk and water in a large pot (I use a three quart pot). Add salt, butter, and cornmeal.
For years I’ve used this yellow cornmeal because it’s gluten free. My spoon bread has turned out just fine.
But this time I decided to go with this fine ground white cornmeal as most spoon bread purists use. It’s naturally gluten free, produced in a wheat free facility, with non-GMO corn. I like that.
Now, continue stirring so that the mixture doesn’t get lumpy and until the liquid is absorbed.
The cornmeal mixture will begin to thicken. This will take about five to ten minutes. Then turn off the flame.
Next, separate your eggs into two different bowls.
Beat the yolks with a whisk and stir into your slightly cooled cornmeal mixture. Add baking powder and rosemary along with cooked chopped bacon.
Next, beat the egg whites until they’re stiff. Then gently fold into your cornmeal mixture.
Scoop into your individual oven-safe ramekins. I like to use an ice cream scoop with a trigger so the batter doesn’t stick to the scoop. It’s less messy.
Bake on the middle rack of your oven at 350 ℉ for thirty to thirty-five minutes.
Your spoon bread will puff up in the heat of the oven.
As it cools, it will deflate though like any soufflé does. It’s so fluffy, light, and creamy. Yum.
Pro tips and recipe notes
• I love using fresh chopped rosemary in this recipe. If you go with dried rosemary, just use a teaspoon.
• Doneness test: Insert a toothpick into the center. When it comes out clean, they’re ready to eat.
• This recipe makes enough to fill ten to eleven individual ramekins. You could also use a 1 1/2 quart baking dish and increase your oven time to forty-five minutes.
• Your spoon bread will puff up in the heat of the oven. As it cools, it will deflate though like any soufflé does.
• Toppings: I love butter melted over my spoon bread. The Farnsworth House always had apple butter on the table which I couldn’t resist spooning a dollop of on my spoon bread.
You could also go with chopped chives and Velvety Smooth Gluten Free Gravy if you’re serving beside a roast. Have fun. It’s up to you.
• Leftovers can be stored tightly covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Just take one bite and tell me what you think.
And if you have any questions, please reach out to me in the comments or shoot me an email, and I’ll respond ASAP!
More recipes like this
Gluten Free Yorkshire Pudding While the name “pudding” conjures up images of a sweet, creamy dessert to Americans, puddings in British cuisine can refer to sausages, bread-like creations, or desserts. Serve smothered in gravy along with your favorite roast.
Cauliflower Flatbreads Enjoy these flatbreads warm from the skillet and piled with your favorite toppings.
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Spoon Bread Recipe With Rosemary And Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups of water
- 2 cups of milk
- 1 1/2 cups of gluten free fine white cornmeal
- 5 eggs separated
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 2 tablespoons of butter melted
- 1 tablespoon of gluten free baking powder
- 1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary chopped
- 6 slices of cooked bacon chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 ℉. Butter your ramekins and cover with cornmeal and set aside.
- Simmer milk and water in a large pot. Add cornmeal, salt and butter. Continue stirring so that mixture does not get lumpy and until liquid is absorbed. The cornmeal mixture will begin to thicken, 5-10 minutes. Then remove from the heat.
- Separate your eggs into two different bowls.
- Beat egg yolks with a whisk and stir into your slightly cooled cornmeal mixture. Add baking powder and rosemary along with your cooked chopped bacon.
- Next beat the egg whites until stiff. Then fold into cornmeal mixture.
- Spoon into ramekins and bake for 30-35 minutes.
- Top with a few pats of butter if you like and enjoy for breakfast or as a side dish at dinnertime.
Notes
- Most spoon bread purists use fine ground white cornmeal. This one Is naturally gluten free, produced in a wheat free facility, with non-GMO corn. I like that.
- I love using fresh chopped rosemary in this recipe. If you go with dried rosemary, just use one teaspoon.
- Doneness test: Insert a toothpick into the center. When it comes out clean, they’re ready to eat.
- This recipe makes enough to fill ten to eleven individual ramekins. You could also use a 1 1/2 quart baking dish and increase your oven time to forty-five minutes.
- Your spoon bread will puff up in the heat of the oven. As it cools, it will deflate though like any soufflé does.
- Toppings: I love butter melted over my spoon bread. The Farnsworth House always had apple butter on the table which I couldn’t resist spooning a dollop of on my spoon bread. You could also go with chopped chives and gravy if you’re serving beside a roast. Have fun. It’s up to you.
- Leftovers can be stored tightly covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
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Amy says
This looks fabulous and takes spoon bread over the top! I can’t wait to try! We too dined at the Farnsworth many years ago when we took our son to Gettysburg. Such a memorable meal and dining experience! Thank you for sharing!
Barbara Bianchi says
Oh! Thank you, Amy. I’m so happy to hear that.