Sonya Goergen of Moorhead, Minn., accepted the esteemed cast iron skillet crown as the grand prize winner of the 2009 National Cornbread Cook-Off with her Buffalo Chicken Cornbread with Blue Cheese Salad recipe. The cook-off is held in conjunction with the National Cornbread Festival® in South Pittsburg, Tenn., and is sponsored by Martha White® and Lodge® Cast Iron.

Photos Courtesy of Martha White® Kitchens Buffalo Chicken Cornbread with Blue Cheese Salad earned the top honors in the 2009 Martha White® National Cornbread Cook-Off held in South Pittsburg, Tenn. As 10 finalists from around the country convened on the cooking stage, a record crowd of cornbread lovers watched in anticipation as the finalists recreated their winning dishes. Once the dishes were complete, an expert panel of judges took on the difficult task of selecting the winners.

"Over the last 13 years, we have seen an amazing variety of unique recipes that showcase the perfect cooking relationship between cast iron and cornbread," said Linda Carman, Martha White baking expert."This year's entries were no exception, and I truly enjoyed watching the 10 talented finalists prepare their dishes and be honored for their hard work and creative inspirations." Entrants qualified for the contest by submitting an original, main dish recipe prepared with Martha White cornbread mix and cooked in Lodge Cast Iron cookware.

Putting a Southwestern spin on a Southern tradition, tomato gravy was jazzed up to create the second-place winner, Black Olive Cornbread Wedges with Chorizo Tomato Gravy. Sonya took her inspiration from a popular appetizer to create her grand prize winning recipe - Buffalo Chicken Cornbread with Blue Cheese Salad. Her original main dish recipe earned her $5,000 and a variety of prizes.

The second place winner, Gaynell Lawson of Maryville, Tenn., took home a $1,000 cash prize for her Black Olive Cornbread Wedges with Chorizo Tomato Gravy while the third place winner, Jamie Martin of Madison, Ala., received $600 for her Cilantro Lime Cornmeal Dumplings in Chorizo Chicken Soup.

Buffalo Chicken Cornbread with Blue Cheese Salad

Featuring a unique approach to old fashioned dumplings, Cilantro Lime Cornmeal Dumplings in Chorizo Chicken Soup took home third prize in the competition.

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray 10 1/2-inch cast iron skillet with no-stick cooking spray. Stir egg, milk and oil together. Add cornbread mix, Cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup blue cheese, diced hot wings, red pepper flakes and 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro. Stir until well blended. Pour mixture into prepared skillet, spreading evenly. Bake 20 to 30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven. Cool.

Combine lettuce, celery, red onion and 1/2 cup cheese crumbles. Toss with blue cheese dressing. Cut cornbread into 8 wedges. Top each wedge with an even amount of salad. Garnish with diced tomatoes and cilantro. (8 servings)

For Ranch-Style Version: Omit blue cheese from cornbread and salad; substitute ranch dressing for blue cheese dressing. Black Olive Cornbread Wedges with Chorizo Tomato Gravy Ingredients: No-stick cooking spray Cornbread: 1 large egg 3/4 cup buttermilk 1 (6.5 oz.) yellow cornbread mix 2 Tbsps. melted butter 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels, thawed 1 (2.25 oz.) can sliced black olives, drained Gravy: 5 Tbsps. butter, separated 1 cup diced onion 2 links (about 6 oz.) Mexican chorizo sausage, casings removed 3 Tbsps. all-purpose flour 2 cups milk 1 cup diced tomatoes, fresh or canned and drained 1/2 tsp. paprika

Garnishes:

Chopped green onion, diced avocado, crumbled tortilla chips, chopped tomatoes and/or sliced fresh limes

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray 9-inch cast iron wedge pan* generously with no-stick cooking spray. Place in oven 6 to 7 minutes or until hot. Beat egg in large bowl. Add buttermilk, cornbread mix, 2 tablespoons melted butter, corn and olives. Mix thoroughly. Pour evenly into wedges in hot pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and keep warm.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in 10- inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Crumble chorizo in skillet. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, or until brown. Remove mixture to small bowl. Set aside.Wipe out skillet with paper towel.

Return skillet to medium heat. Melt 3 tablespoons butter. Add flour. Whisk until mixture is golden. Add milk, tomatoes and paprika. Whisk about 3 minutes, or until thickened. Add chorizo mixture to gravy.

To serve, place a wedge of cornbread on each plate, top with 1/2 cup of chorizo tomato gravy. Garnish with green onion, avocado, tortilla chips, chopped tomatoes and/or a squeeze of lime juice. (8 servings)

* Cornbread may be baked in 10-inch cast iron skillet sprayed with nostick cooking spray. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Cut into wedges.

Cilantro Lime Cornmeal Dumplings in Chorizo Chicken Soup

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in cast iron 5-quart fryer, over medium heat. Add chorizo. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, using back of a spoon to break into pieces. Add chicken. Cook 2 minutes. Add onion, celery, carrots, poblano pepper and salt. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic. Cook for 1 minute. Add 2 tablespoons oil. Stir in flour. Cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes and chicken stock. Stir well, making sure to scrape all of the bits off bottom of pot. Cover. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes. Uncover. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes.

Stir together cornbread mix, lime peel, milk, sour cream and cilantro in medium bowl. Mixture will be thick. Set aside 10 minutes to ensure liquid is absorbed into cornmeal. Drop by tablespoonfuls into simmering soup. Cover and cook 8 to 10 minutes, or until puffed and firm.

To serve, spoon a couple dumplings into each bowl and ladle soup around the dumplings. Garnish with sour cream, cilantro, avocado and/or a squeeze of lime juice. (6 servings)