Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread is moist, tender, and loaded with extra flavor from crispy bacon, gooey cheese, and spicy jalapeño, making it the perfect accompaniment for all of your favorite soups, stews, chilis, and chowders!
1tablespoonbutter OR bacon fatfor the skillet (reserve 1 T. grease when you cook the bacon, if desired)
1cupcornmeal*
1cupall-purpose flour*
1tablespoonbaking powder*
½teaspoonsalt*
¼cup(½ stick) buttermelted and cooled
1cupbuttermilkat room temperature
1eggwhisked
1tablespoonhoney
5slicesbaconcooked until crispy and diced
4ounces(1 cup) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1largejalapeñominced (more or less, to taste)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place a tablespoon of bacon grease (or butter) in the bottom of an 8-inch cast iron skillet and place in the oven to melt.
In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt.* Stir in the melted butter, buttermilk, egg, and honey. Mix in diced bacon, shredded cheddar, and minced jalapeño.
Using a pot holder, remove hot skillet from the oven. Pour cornbread batter into center of skillet, allowing melted bacon grease to spread to the edges. Smooth the top.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until surface is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool skillet for 5 minutes before slicing and serving cornbread warm.
Notes
*2 cups Homemade Cornbread Mix can be substituted for the asterisked ingredients, if desired.
You may use regular all-purpose white flour in this recipe, or whole wheat pastry flour, or a combination of the two. I used half white flour and half whole wheat pastry flour for the cornbread in these photos.
If you don't have buttermilk on hand, make your own by putting a tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into the bottom of a glass measuring cup. Fill the cup to the 1-cup line with milk, stir, and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes, after which the milk will have thickened and curdled like buttermilk.
For flavor without heat, remove the seeds and membranes from the jalapeño.
You may substitute another type of shredded cheese for the cheddar, such as Monterey Jack or pepper jack.
Instead of a cast iron skillet, you may bake this cornbread in an 8-inch round pan or in 12 muffin cups. If doing so, generously grease the pan/muffin cups with butter or spray with nonstick cooking spray (in lieu of preheating in the oven with melted butter).
To make this recipe gluten-free, make sure the cornmeal you use is labeled GF and substitute a gluten-free baking flour blend for the regular flour.