Bisquick Corn Bread

When time is short and a pot of chili is already on the stove, this is the cornbread to know. Bisquick takes the guesswork out of the leavening and the fat, which means you can throw together a respectable cornbread with one bowl, one whisk, and zero fuss.

The sour milk is the secret. Mixed with vinegar (1 tablespoon per cup of milk), regular milk takes on the same acidic bite that buttermilk would, and that acid reacts with the baking soda to give the cornbread an extra lift. The result has a tender crumb with a slight buttermilk-style tang you don’t get from sweet milk alone.

Mix quickly and vigorously, just enough to bring the batter together. Overmixing develops the gluten in the biscuit mix and gives you a tough cornbread. Twenty-five to thirty minutes at 425°F (220°C) takes it from raw to golden-edged with a soft middle.

Pro Tips

• Let the sour milk sit 5 minutes after stirring in the vinegar; it should look slightly curdled and smell tangy.
• Don’t overmix. The batter should still have small lumps when you stop.
• Preheat the pan with shortening in the oven for 5 minutes before adding batter for an extra-crisp bottom crust.
• The 12-muffin variation cooks in just 20 minutes if you’d rather have grab-and-go portions.

Variations

• Stir ½ cup of shredded sharp cheddar and a chopped jalapeño into the batter for a Tex-Mex spin.
• Add 1 cup of fresh or frozen corn kernels for chunkier texture.
• Use buttermilk in place of sour milk for an even deeper tang and softer crumb.