I grew up eating meals from a cast iron skillet. I’m pretty sure my mom got her skillet from her mom, and so on and so on. The reason those meals were so memorable was because the more you use cast iron, the more flavor it retains and thus infuses into food. It can be a cheesy egg frittata, Grandma’s scalloped potatoes or an aunt’s Sheppard’s pie — the older the pan, the better the flavor. Cornbread is a great example. Traditional cornbread just doesn’t taste or look the same when you bake it in a baking dish (yes, I’ve done it, and probably even on this blog).

With a cast iron pan, you can preheat and “grease” the pan first, which gives the finished bread that incredible crisp-around-the-edges-moist-in-the-middle texture. But those recipes use heaps of butter which, as I discovered during recipe testing, isn’t needed. To replace traditional fat (sometimes more than a stick of butter), I used low-fat buttermilk and 2% Greek yogurt. I still greased the pan with some melted butter for the same incredible flavor and color. Whether your cast iron pan is old or new, try this recipe and let me know what you think!

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Every year I have this internal debate: Do I make cornbread or rolls for Thanksgiving dinner? This year, I’m going with cornbread, but either of these recipes will make a scrumptious addition to your holiday table. Stick to smaller portions (mini-muffins, anyone?) to save room for the rest of the meal and keep calories in check.

• Easy Rolls

• Sour Cream and Lemon Honey Corn Muffins