“Mine was one of the first recipes you printed,” said Gail Hipp of Easley. She had the date: July 17, 2003. So we are almost at a column birthday. Because we have so many, many excellent Baptist cooks, I don’t usually do two recipes from the same person, but I had already baked and tasted this Onion Bread. It has only a few ingredients, is easily made, and tastes really good.
When I used her recipe earlier, Gail was a member of Mt. Carmel in Easley. A couple of years later, she joined Rock Springs, Easley’s 5,000-plus member church and one of the largest Baptist churches in the state. They have two morning worship services, two Sunday school sessions, Sunday evening worship, and mid-week prayer service plus the other Baptist groups. Dr. David Gallamore has been pastor of Rock Springs for 28 years and leads a large staff to serve members’ needs.
Gail is a member of the Victory Sunday School Class taught by Wes Henson. They have had to change rooms three times because the class keeps growing. Good for them!
Gail’s husband, Major Hipp, is a patient at the Richard Campbell Nursing Facility in Anderson County. She goes to see him every other day and talks with him on the phone every day.
The couple have one child, Rhonda Hipp, a social worker with the Pickens County Health Department. Gail calls Rhonda the “microwave queen” because her daughter, although she cooks, does not share Gail’s love of cooking and collecting recipes.
Gail Hipp
Gail enjoys reading old cookbooks. Some time ago she sat with a friend, Mary McJunkin, one day a week, preparing her lunch, etc., and this Onion Bread recipe was in one of Mrs. McJunkin’s old books.
In discussing the recipe, Gail said that one can use more onions, perhaps a cup, and that finely sliced green onions can also be used. She suggested that the resulting bread would probably be just as good if all the ingredients were mixed together instead of putting the sour cream on top.
At lunch the day I baked this, I noticed that a couple of us were taking another piece of the Onion Bread at the end of our meal and nibbling on it while we talked.
With the Mexican Cornbread in the last issue and the Onion Bread in today’s, we are set for the bountiful vegetables that will soon begin showing in backyard gardens, farmers’ markets and supermarkets. Do plan to make this one weekend soon and enjoy it for … Sunday Dinner.
Onion Bread
¾ (or 1) cup chopped onion
1 14-ounce pack corn muffin mix
½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup sour cream
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease an 8×8-inch baking pan.
Cook onions in the butter until soft.
Prepare muffin mix as directed on package. Pour into the prepared pan. Sprinkle on the butter and onions. Mix the sour cream and cheese, and spoon on top of the onions. Using the back of the spoon, smooth the sour cream-cheese mixture. Bake for 25 minutes. Let rest for a few minutes, then cut into squares to serve.