So my intention here is to try my cast iron skillet at making cornbread since it proved unsuitable for bacon on my ceramic cooktop...I know many here have custom recipes which would be delicious if somebody other than me was staffing the kitchen, but that's not my intention right now...Maybe later...

What I have is a package of HEB store brand white cornbread mix that I think I got as a coupon bonus once ...

Disregarding the fact that the expiration date was 1/2018, I want to use it for my experiment...The directions say to add milk and one egg...The egg is no problem, but I have no milk in the house because I don't drink it...I also have zero powdered milk although I think I could round up some powdered fast-food coffee creamer of unknown vintage I remember seeing in a kitchen drawer once...My question is will this concoction turn into cornbread if I just use tapwater instead of milk?...I hate going back to the store for just a pint of milk...Also it says to grease the pan - can I use canola oil for that, or do I need some kind of special pan grease?...

If the pan works, I promise I'll use one of the recipes already posted in earlier threads......Ben