Is it just me, or does everyone else have a half used bag of cornmeal in the pantry waiting to be used? I decided to make a batch of this Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread and wondered why it took so long – the perfect snack or accompaniment to dinner!
Cornbread can create wars if discuss in Southern states, when some people like the savory version and others like the sweeter version. Since we live in New England, I’ll try to balance it out and I’m serving you this cornbread recipe that although has savory ingredients like cheese and jalapeño, also has a hint of sweetness from the sugar added.
This recipe turns out great, not too crumbly or dry, but not cake-like either. Like I said, a balance between the best of both worlds, I think this jalapeño cornbread is just what you need at your table. The best part is that it’s easy to adapt: don’t love spicy, use bell peppers instead of a spicy pepper! Additions like corn kernels or other herbs are always welcome, so play around with this recipe and bake golden batch after golden batch.
Photography by Stacey Rupolo / Recipe by Cooking with Books
Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 large egg
- ½ jalapeno diced
- 1 cup cheddar grated
- ¼ cup scallions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease and 8" by 8" square pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk the milk, oil, and egg together, pouring this liquid into the dry ingredients. Stir everything together and fold in the jalapeño, cheddar, and scallions.
- Pour batter into bowl and bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.
- Serve warm or room temperature with softened butter.
