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This skillet sausage and cornbread supper is a good ol’ Southern-style dish that really has no precedent that I know of…but I like it, and my family actually thought it was pretty good. (For once, a totally off-the-wall experiment that they enjoyed. I think they’re getting more open-minded. 😛 ) It involves sausage, which is pretty much my favorite meat ever, and cornbread, which is pretty much my favorite bread ever, and it’s topped with cheese, which is…well…cheese is awesome. And it’s all cooked together in one skillet on the stovetop. I used a cast iron skillet because we recently got one and I’ve been wanting to try it out; the cast iron really does give this a great crispy finish on the bottom. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you should probably try another method of preparation, like layering the recipe in a baking dish and baking until the cornbread is done all the way through. Anecdotal evidence from my readers indicates that making this recipe in a regular skillet doesn’t distribute the heat as well, so the cornbread is apt to burn if left to cook on the stovetop in the times I have listed in the recipe below. (Alternately you could just stir the recipe more often to avoid burning and end up with a more scrambled result.)
I should probably ‘splain real quick about the masa flour. I’ve already done this in some of my other recipes involving masa flour, so I’ll give you the quickie version. Corn (and cornmeal) are pretty high on the glycemic index and will spike your blood sugar; that’s why they’re not recommended for those following the Trim Healthy Mama plan. (Corn is acceptable in very small amounts in an E setting, and if you’re at goal weight, you can enjoy it a little more frequently if you like.) However, masa flour goes through a nixtamalization process that breaks it down to a state that’s kinder to your blood sugar (the same thing that sprouting does to wheat so we can enjoy sprouted wheat flour). It’s a carb fuel, so I generally try to keep it to an E setting, but sometimes I use small amounts for flavor in S and FP dishes. The recipe below is an S for Trim Healthy Mamas, and the net carbs from the masa flour come to 3.5g per serving when the recipe is divided among 8 people.
In case you’re wondering, I just buy my masa flour from Walmart in the ethnic foods aisle. I buy Maseca brand, and it’s a super-cheap flour. Sausage tends to be a cheap meat, and this recipe only uses one pound spread among eight servings, so I’d call this a budget-friendly recipe!
In case you’re interested, here are some of my other recipes that use masa flour:
The cornbread batter I made for this skillet recipe is a tweaked version of my Sour Cream Cornbread recipe. If you want a plain baked cornbread recipe, I suggest using that one instead of just baking the cornbread batter in this recipe. I haven’t tested this one baked on its own in the oven.
I enjoy this skillet dinner plain or topped with a squirt of ketchup. My dad ate it with maple syrup (not on plan for THM, but healthier than some other options). Now you see where I get my unique taste buds. 😉 I think my barbecue sauce recipe would be great on this too!
As always, check out the Notes section of the recipe for extra info. Check out the links in and below the recipe to see the products I use and recommend. Some of the links included in the recipe and blog post are affiliate links, which means that if you make purchases through these links, I make a small commission to help defray the costs of running this blog (at no extra charge to you). Thanks for your help!
You may also enjoy:
- Starting THM
- my recipe index
- my recipes grouped by fuel type, allergy info, and theme
- other budget-friendly recipes
- Budget-Friendly Cornbread
- Sour Cream Cornbread (THM:FP)
- Cornbread Waffle
- Perfect Barbecue Sauce
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- 1 lb. ground pork sausage
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- Shredded cheese of choice for topping
- ¾ c. oat fiber (use gluten-free if necessary)
- ⅓ c. Briana's Baking Mix
- ⅓ c. masa flour*
- 2 tsp. nutritional yeast flakes
- 1½ tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. THM Super Sweet Blend
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. salt (scant)
- ¼ tsp. each sage, turmeric (for color), black pepper
- -
- ¾ c. water
- ⅔ c. sour cream
- ½ c. unsweetened almond milk**
- 3 eggs
- Heat a 12-inch cast iron skillet on the stovetop. When the skillet is hot, fry the sausage. When it's nearly done, add the chopped onion and let both sauté (uncovered) until the onion is tender.
- While the sausage and onion are frying, make the cornbread batter. Whisk the dry ingredients, then add the wet ingredients and whisk until smooth.
- Pour the cornbread batter over the top of the cooked sausage and onion. (There shouldn't be much liquid at the bottom of the pan by now; if there is, let it cook uncovered longer so the moisture evaporates. Do not drain the sausage grease.) Cover the pan and cook undisturbed over medium heat for 10 minutes. At that point, scramble everything together, cover again, and cook for 5 more minutes. Scramble again, top with shredded cheese, and cook (uncovered this time) for another 5-10 minutes until the cornbread is done, the cheese is melted, and the "casserole" isn't soggy. Serve. (You might enjoy topping it with ketchup or some of my Perfect Barbecue Sauce.)
**Replace the almond milk with carton (not canned) coconut milk for a nut-free version. Most people with nut allergies can handle coconut products, but check with your doctor first to make sure.
If you don't have a cast iron skillet, you should probably try another method of preparation, like layering the recipe in a baking dish and baking until the cornbread is done all the way through. Anecdotal evidence from my readers indicates that making this recipe in a regular skillet doesn't distribute the heat as well, so the cornbread is apt to burn if left to cook on the stovetop in the times I have listed in the recipe below. (Alternately you could just stir the recipe more often to avoid burning and end up with a more scrambled result.)
Feel free to add some chopped celery, sliced fresh mushrooms, and/or chopped jalapenos as well (but keep in mind that the more vegetables you use, the more liquid will need to evaporate so you might need to leave the skillet uncovered longer).
If you don't have any of my baking mix on hand, you can try substituting THM Baking Blend. You may need an extra tablespoon or two since my mix is drier and soaks up more liquid.
Suggested products:
I love this recipe!! I just made your sour cream cornbread which we also love. I notice the ingredients are a bit different than your sour cream cornbread recipe. Have you ever made the batter of this recipe as regular cornbread? Also if I don’t have the baking blend and don’t use flax what can I sub?
I’m so glad you like it! No, I’ve never tried baking this on its own and I’m not sure if that would work or not. I don’t really know of any substitutes for the baking blend, but you could use almond flour instead of flaxmeal to make the baking blend. 🙂
I just tried this tonight and it’s delicious! Definitely a “comfort food” meal!
Is this Low-Carb Skillet Sausage and Cornbread Casserole in your “Necessary Foods” Cookbook? I can’t seem to find it if it is there. I love your cookbook.
No, NF only contains recipes posted through July 2016, but this recipe will be in the next book. 😉
Thank you! I made this tonight and it was FABULOUS! My entire family loved it and my son who never has seconds got a heaping plate of seconds (he is not THM). I did not have a cast iron skillet so after i put the batter on top I baked it covered (in my oven proof skillet) for 15 mins at 350 degrees, stirred it up and put cheese on top and then baked for another 15-20 mins uncovered. I enjoyed with a little ketchup and everyone else enjoyed it plain. I also did not use sage as I do not like that spice. Thanks again, my husband said this is def a keeper!
That’s so interesting about the masa flour! Didn’t know that! Looks amazing like always briana!
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We made this dish last night and we don’t have a cast iron skillet, so we used our regular one that was big enough. It smelled wonderful, but when we let it sit to cook the cornbread it burned! It burned so bad that we had to throw it out and couldn’t eat it. We ended up ordering pizza and I admit I didn’t eat THM style. So, I think a cast iron skillet is very important in making this dish! It was explained that in order for the cornbread to cook the way heat is dispersed in the cast iron is important. Maybe, putting it in the oven to bake would be the solution.
Oh dear! Thank you for letting me know! I’ll make a note of that in the recipe.
So if masa flour is okay, does that mean corn tortillas are THM friendly ? The flour you are using can be used to make tortillas by just adding water, pressing them, and baking them. That is also the flour I use to make tamales and other delightful dishes.
Tortillas made using masa flour can be used in a THM:E setting as part of your carb source. 🙂 I still wouldn’t recommend using it on a really frequent basis since corn is still corn.
Hi Brianna,
How does THM view sprouted corn meal. Does it have the same glycemic index as the masa flour? What are the comparisons health-wise that you’re aware of? Thanks!
Nance
Hi Nance! I wasn’t even aware that sprouted corn meal existed, so I’m afraid I don’t know! I assume that if it’s sprouted, it would be viewed about the same as the masa flour.