Corn, beans and squash make up the holy trinity (also known as the Three Sisters) of Native American home cooking, and cornbread is one of the staple foods of the Apaches. Native Americans have been using ground corn (also known as maize or cornmeal) for thousands of years before the Europeans set foot in the New World. The English colonies learned recipes using cornmeal from the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Creek and soon used cornmeal to make different kinds of bread. In this recipe, adapted from The Prudence Penny Regional Cookbook by Prudence Penny, Apache Bread Cornmeal Rolls are flavored with bacon grease and red pepper flakes for a satisfying and sumptuous dish that can be served with meat dishes like barbecue, roasts, and steaks.

Cornbread is a cornerstone of Southern cooking in the United States, produced by grinding raw and dry corn grains. In this recipe, white cornmeal and yellow cornmeal are used to make golden rolls that smell as great as it tastes. Apache bread cornmeal rolls are a true soul food that can be eaten on its own as a tasty snack or dipped in gravy, soups, or stews.

A common bread and traditional staple in the United States, particularly in the South and Southwest, cornbread is a cheaper alternative to wheat bread. In the South, it is typically crumbled in a glass of buttermilk or cold milk, and also served alongside chili con carne and barbecue. Cornmeal bread is also served with pinto beans for a quick and inexpensive meal. It is also commonly served with butter and chunks of scallions and onions. In many instances, cornbread is used to make poultry stuffing especially in Thanksgiving turkeys.

Inexpensive and filling, cornmeal rolls also make a great breakfast alternative to cereals, muffins or pancake. A little cornmeal goes a long way since a cup of dried cornmeal will yield about four cups of cooked cornmeal. Cornmeal also contains good amount of vitamins and nutrients including thiamin, vitamin B6, folate, selenium, manganese, phosphorus, iron, and magnesium.

Ingredients
1 cup white corn meal
1 cup yellow corn meal
1 teaspoon salt
1`/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup boiling water
½ cup bacon drippings
Green cornhusks

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, blend together the white and yellow corn meal, the salt, and the red pepper flakes.

Add the boiling water and bacon drippings and stir well.

Form the dough into rolls and wrap in the green cornhusks. Place on a wire rack in the oven and bake for 1 hour.