Bacon & Sage Cornbread

The October ’08 edition of Bon Appetit magazine has this wonderful looking recipe for Cornish game hens with a corn bread and sage stuffing. Coincidentally, my husband had the urge to buy Cornish game hens over the weekend, so I’ll get to try this recipe in the coming days.

In preparation for said bird stuffing, I made cornbread on Saturday so it could dry out for a few days before use. Just before I started, my husband had the brilliant idea of adding bacon to the cornbread, which I immediately promised to do. (You can see why I love this man. Culinary genius.) Upon further reflection I thought I may as well add some of the sage while I was at it, since sage is such a integral part of the whole project.

I started with a single box of Jiffy cornbread mix, the only cornbread I ever really use. It’s so darn easy and doesn’t make a huge amount, which is essential when cooking for only one or two. I diced and fried five slices of bacon, and set aside to drain. I then chopped up a handful of sage, probably about a tablespoon. When all my ingredients were ready, I made the cornbread batter according to box directions and added bacon and sage. And voila! Ready for the oven.

I baked the whole concoction for 25 minutes at 400 degrees. I used a loaf pan, but an 8″x8″ would have been better, and probably taken 5 minutes less to cook. Of course I had to taste a slice, and I don’t know if I will ever make cornbread without bacon again. The sage I could take or leave…it might have been nice if I had fried it a bit before use. But what I will do next time is add a handful of sharp cheddar cheese. Maybe serve it with chili on a cold fall evening. At any rate, if the game hens come out as tasty as the cornbread did, I’ll be a happy camper.