Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread
My mother’s cornbread was always more cake-like in texture, with a higher ratio of flour to cornmeal. It’s delicious on its own, but it adapts well to other flavor variations. I like to make a Southwest version by adding corn, cheddar cheese, and a finely diced jalapeño pepper. The cheese melts into the bread making it moist and flavorful, while the chile pepper adds a little heat. To produce a nice golden crust, I bake it in a cast iron skillet, but you can also make this in a 9-inch round baking pan. Honestly, I just like the rustic appeal of cast iron.
We use a simplified version of this recipe in our Bread and Cornbread Dressing. Just omit the corn, cheddar cheese, and jalapeño pepper and bake it in an 8-x-8-inch baking pan.
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Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spoon and sweep method of measuring)
- 3/4 cup cornmeal
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1 jalapeño pepper, ribs and seeds removed, finely diced
- 3/4 cup corn
- 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Grease a 9-inch round baking pan, or a 10-inch cast iron skillet.In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, oil, jalapeño pepper, corn, and cheese. Add all at once to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.
Pour into the prepared baking pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. If using frozen corn, it may take a few extra minutes.
