Jalapeño Cheese Cornbread

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Cornmeal. Cornmeal is a coarse ground flour made from corn kernels. It’s very similar to grits and polenta but slightly finer in texture. If you can’t find it, I would suggest blending polenta or yellow grits in a food processor for a minute or two until it’s slightly finer in texture.
• Flour. All purpose flour.
• Baking powder.
• Baking soda.
• Salt.
• Sugar. I used white sugar but light brown sugar can also be used.
• Melted butter. I used salted butter but unsalted butter can be substituted.
• Eggs.
• Buttermilk. If you don’t have buttermilk, use a cup of whole milk and add 2 tsp fresh lemon juice or white vinegar to it.
• Sharp cheddar cheese. Any strong, flavorful cheese will be delicious. Pepper Jack cheese, Monterey Jack, Gruyere, Havarti, Gouda are all good options.
• Fresh jalapeños peppers.

How to make jalapeño cheese cornbread

1. Make the batter: Stir together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together the wet ingredients then pour into the dry ingredients and mix together. Fold in the shredded cheese and chopped jalapeños.
2. Bake: Grease a 10in/26cm cast iron skillet, baking dish or cake pan with butter then pour in the cornbread batter. You can also make cornbread muffins from this recipe by baking the mixture in a greased muffin pan. Place in a preheated oven and allow to bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
3. Serve: Remove the cornbread from the oven and allow to cool before slicing and serving warm with butter and a drizzle of honey.

Can I make this ahead?

Yes, the cornbread can be made a few hours in advance and kept at room temperature. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap at room temp for up to 4 days.