Jiffy love

[TdeV]

Query: I've got to make a leftover duck casserole and I'm thinking to put a thick layer of doctored Jiffy on top.

 

Will this work? What consistency should the dough have?

 

TIA.

[Maison Rustique]

1 hour ago, TdeV said:

Query: I've got to make a leftover duck casserole and I'm thinking to put a thick layer of doctored Jiffy on top.

 

Will this work? What consistency should the dough have?

 

TIA.

What do you plan to put in with the duck? If it will have a lot of liquid, I'd make it more of a "crumble" type topping, which you could do by either actually baking the cornbread and crumbling it over, or to cut in some butter (or duck fat!) into the dry mix and sprinkle over the top. 

 

 

[TdeV]

@Maison Rustique, I wasn't thinking of much liquid, more stew like, but hadn't really gotten much further. If the batter has any liquidity it will drip to the bottom regardless, yes? Or, if it's a stiff batter will it stay on top? How stiff is stiff enough?

 

 

[Maison Rustique]

1 hour ago, TdeV said:

@Maison Rustique, I wasn't thinking of much liquid, more stew like, but hadn't really gotten much further. If the batter has any liquidity it will drip to the bottom regardless, yes? Or, if it's a stiff batter will it stay on top? How stiff is stiff enough?

 

 

Not sure. Maybe someone else will know?

[heidih]

2 hours ago, TdeV said:

@Maison Rustique, I wasn't thinking of much liquid, more stew like, but hadn't really gotten much further. If the batter has any liquidity it will drip to the bottom regardless, yes? Or, if it's a stiff batter will it stay on top? How stiff is stiff enough?

 

When I use Jif I find the batter pretty thick and don' imagine a drip hazard. Mix, let set up a bit and then dollop/spread on top. I'd be more inclined to do it separate, maybe as the muffins, cuz at service esp w/ stew the topping likely to crumble into stew. When I add grated zucchini into batter I add an extra egg whitte and eyeball the liquid a bit under what box says.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Seems to be a Jiffy thing.

[heidih]

5 minutes ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:

Seems to be a Jiffy thing.

I used to do similar from scratch as drop dumplings on my cow foot soup.  Yields a soft result of course.i Tasty but depends on what texture  @TdeV is hoping for.

[Kim Shook]

15 hours ago, TdeV said:

Query: I've got to make a leftover duck casserole and I'm thinking to put a thick layer of doctored Jiffy on top.

 

Will this work? What consistency should the dough have?

 

TIA.

i do a beef casserole like that and, just like @heidih says mix it up according to directions and dollop on top.  You can gently spread it out and it will cook more evenly than the dollops.  

[kayb]

I do something like that with layers of ground beef and pork, cooked with assorted chili powders and cumin, layered with black beans, corn and cheese in a Dutch oven, then topped with cornbread batter. I don’t use Jiffy for this because it’s too sweet. But I make just regular cornbread batter, and it seems to sit on top just fine. Of course, there’s not much liquid in the layers, either.

[Tropicalsenior]

8 minutes ago, kayb said:

I do something like that

You don't happen to have a specific recipe that you can share, please?

Edited May 15, 2023 by Tropicalsenior (log)

[kayb]

Uhhh…I kinda wing it. Brown a pound of ground beef and a pound of ground pork with a diced onion, some garlic, and chili powders to your preference. I generally use Penzey’s chili powder, plus guajillo and ancho powder, and a pinch of chipotle. And some cumin.  Drain and rinse a can of black beans. Drain a can of whole kernel corn (I prefer shoepeg, but can’t always find it.) Grate a boatload of cheese of your choice (I’ll sometimes use queso fresco, sometimes Monterey Jack, sometimes Cheddar, or whatever I have in the fridge). 
 

Start the layers with meat mixture, beans, corn, cheese. Repeat. Top with basic cornbread batter.

 

I have from time to time poured a small can of enchilada sauce over each layer. Well, half a small can for each layer.

 

Bake at 350F until the cornbread is browned (20 minutes or so). Serve with a side of guacamole, salsa, sour cream if you’re feeling fancy.

 

 

[Annie_H]

My MIL used to make tamale pie and a chicken 'pot pie' and a beef version. All in casserole form. Top crust using corn bread, biscuits...

She lives with my SIL now. At 90 this is all she wants. A hearty meal or lunch and freezes well in small portions. Here is a recipe if you just need help with the Jiffy top crust. tamale pie using jiffy

My SIL makes one of the three in rotation every weekend. And keeps some commercial brands handy in the freezer as well as Mac-n-cheese. A recent hospital stay she had Mac every day and loves it.

[lemniscate]

Cast iron Jiffy Muffin/bread mix with creamed corn and green chile.

[Deephaven]

Just read the whole thread and feel I am missing something.  I tried Jiffy a few times but it was really dry and lifeless.  Instead of doctoring the box though I just mix my own flour, corn meal, baking powder and sugar.  Is there some magic in that box that I should go back and try?

[heidih]

1 hour ago, Deephaven said:

Just read the whole thread and feel I am missing something.  I tried Jiffy a few times but it was really dry and lifeless.  Instead of doctoring the box though I just mix my own flour, corn meal, baking powder and sugar.  Is there some magic in that box that I should go back and try?

As I've noted before here, it is convenient and cheap if you don't make it often. No magic  As a singleton I don't use cornmeal often enough to warrant an open box in the pantry. Dry and lifeless are not my experience.'

[Deephaven]

You all made me want cornbread.  After my question I then went and baked it too long.  My oven is dying though so it makes it really hard to judge.  

 

...I would highly recommend everyone run from Electrolux double ovens.  Between the two I have only 2 panes of glass, no bake elements, 2 convection, 1 broil and the bearing slides don't slide.  Temperature variation isn't very good either.  Soon they will be replaced.  Thanks egullet for getting me to make some cornbread!

 

[Katie Meadow]

I've never used Jiffy or any other cornbread mix, but the truth is that the batter for most recipes can be made from scratch in less time than it takes for the oven to get to temp, so convenience is dubious. And good cornbread depends on good corn meal. I like Bob's Red Mill medium grind. I only use a minimal amount of sugar, but if you have a sweet tooth you can always adjust that.

[Kim Shook]

I like all kinds of cornbread - from lightly sweet to not sweet at all.  Sweet makes a nice accompaniment to ham and pork meals and the not-sweet is perfect for dipping into pot likker and crumbling onto smoky, porky, long cooked greens.  

 

I wish I could make the not-sweet kind that my Tennessee farm-raised grandmother did.  Hers was made with coarse ground, white cornmeal - tender, but firm, with a definite crunch.  But she was the proverbial "no recipe" cook.  Both her biscuits and her cornbread were constructed in a giant stainless steel bowl -the dry ingredients first, then the wet and mixed until "right".  Cornbread was poured into a preheated and greased iron skillet (so hot that the batter bubbled up and sizzled) and slammed into a hot oven.  It was heaven and I've never, ever been able to accomplish it.

 

As far as Jiffy goes, I just like the flavor of their particular mix of ingredients.  I usually add an extra egg and a couple teaspoons of sugar.  My from-scratch doesn't taste as good.  I'm fine with that.  I wouldn't mind mixing up my own if it was better.  But, to my taste, it isn't.  

[btbyrd]

I'm from North Carolina and grew up in a Jiffy household. I still use it from time to time, mostly for cornbread. I know people have fights about things like sugar in cornbread, but it's mostly all acceptable to me and I don't have a dog in the fight. But because I was raised on the blue box, I'll probably always add sugar to my own even when made from scratch.

 

I've started buying the vegetarian Jiffy over the original because I feel better about eating powdered homogenized vegetable shortening than powdered homogenized lard. Maybe it doesn't matter. Maybe nothing matters! Anyway, I basically never make Jiffy without doctoring it somehow. I make it as cornbread, not muffins. Usually two packages at a time, depending on the pan. The standard inclusions are shredded cheddar and chopped jalapenos. Sometimes some frozen corn, though not often. I preheat a cast iron skillet in the oven and add a copious amount of bacon fat or clarified butter to the pan before the batter so that the crust fries up crisp and dark golden brown.

 

 

[gfweb]

8 hours ago, btbyrd said:

 I preheat a cast iron skillet in the oven and add a copious amount of bacon fat or clarified butter to the pan before the batter so that the crust fries up crisp and dark golden brown.

 

 

 

That bacon fat will neutralize the evil vegetarian mix.

 

[btbyrd]

My standard cornbread pan takes two boxes. This was a mix of original and vegetarian, as they only had one box of veg at the store. 

 

I bring the batter together in a bowl with a Foley fork and then add mix-ins until the proportions look right. This time it was the standard inclusions of jalapeño and cheddar.

 

Then into a preheated cast iron skillet with copious bacon fat.

 

 

And into the oven.

 

Served with some overgarnished spicy beans from Rancho Gordo.

 

 

Edited September 20, 2023 by btbyrd (log)

[heidih]

Did a simple cornbread one the other day. Used an extra egg white,  last o some salsa verde as part o liquid with yogurt and a tablespoon o chili/garlic/onion  -yes keyboard issue -  Very good  https://www.amazon.com/MaeMai-Crispy-Onions-Garlic-Flakes/dp/B0BSVTG56T

[Kim Shook]

20 hours ago, btbyrd said:

 

 

 

I love the crown you got on that cornbread.  Mine never does that.  Any hints?  

[btbyrd]

On 9/21/2023 at 1:49 PM, Kim Shook said:

I love the crown you got on that cornbread.  Mine never does that.  Any hints?  

 

I can't say that I did anything special apart from using a hot pan from a well-preheated oven with convection... maybe the closeness of the elements helped. I also let the batter sit for 3-5 minutes after bringing it together which may have given the leavening agents a minute to get going. 

[heidih]

22 minutes ago, btbyrd said:

 

I can't say that I did anything special apart from using a hot pan from a well-preheated oven with convection... maybe the closeness of the elements helped. I also let the batter sit for 3-5 minutes after bringing it together which may have given the leavening agents a minute to get going. 

We discussed the rest inpast J posts. I do it and box says to. Science or not - it has become an automatic. Also I've not done the hot pan - sure that was a helping element.