Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread
Cornbread is one of my favorite comfort foods, which I grew up with. I remember in my teens, my mom would often make Marie Callendar’s cornbread from the mix. It was characteristically sweet and had a dense, cakelike quality. Then, in college, I remember being served the most delicious jalapeño cheddar cornbread at a friend’s house. It haunted me in the most positive way, so, two decades later, I decided to recreate this cornbread of my past. However, the first go-around was a soupy disaster, as I tried to piece together a concoction with cream of style corn. But the second time around, I omitted the cream of style corn and added, among other ingredients, ricotta cheese, cornmeal, jalapeños, and white and orange cheddar cheese. Voilà! I had the cornbread of my dreams!
Ingredients
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 T + 2 t. white granulated sugar
- 1 t. garlic powder
- 1 t. onion powder
- ¾ t. sea salt
- 1 T. baking powder
- ¼ cup + 2 T. diced jalapeños
- ½ cup or 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- ½ cup sharp white cheddar cheese
- ½ cup medium cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup reduced fat buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup fresh corn kernels, optional. Canned whole kernel sweet corn can be used, too, especially if corn is out of season.
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat the oven to 375 °F.
- Step 2 In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients—the cornmeal, flour, garlic and onion powder, salt, sugar, and baking powder. Mix well and set aside.
- Step 3 Then, remove the stems, seeds, and ribs of the jalapeños, if you want a milder cornbread, and chop 2 large jalapeños to yield ¼ cup and 2 T. Reserve in a large mixing bowl. Next, grate the cheddar cheeses, if they come in a block, and add to the mixing bowl with the jalapeños. After this, pour the buttermilk and spoon the ricotta and 2 beaten eggs into the same bowl with the cheddar cheeses, jalapeños, and eggs. Next, cut a stick of butter into chunks and place in a glass, microwave-safe bowl, covered with a paper towel, so it doesn’t splatter everywhere. Heat the butter in the microwave until it melts and pour into the mixing bowl with the buttermilk, eggs, jalapeños, and cheeses. Stir well and set aside.
- Step 4 Next, take a large stockpot or Dutch oven and fill with enough water to cover the corn and bring the water to a boil. Meanwhile, shuck the corn, removing the husks and silks. Then, put the corn in the boiling water and cook for 3-5 minutes, according to your taste. Use a pair of metal tongs to remove the corn from the water and let it cool. After it has cooled, rest the corn on its thicker end and take a knife to cut the kernels off the cob. Tip: a Bundt cake or angel food cake pan can be used for this purpose, so the kernels don’t fall everywhere. Then, add ½ cup to the large mixing bowl with the eggs, jalapeños, buttermilk, butter, and cheeses.
- Step 5 Next, combine the dry ingredients from step 2—the cornmeal, flour, garlic and onion powder, salt, sugar, and baking powder—with the wet ingredients from step 3 and 4—the buttermilk, eggs, butter, cheeses, jalapeños, and corn kernels. Stir until incorporated.
- Step 6 Grease an 8 x 8-inch Pyrex or glass baking dish and pour in the batter, smoothing it out. Bake for approximately 35 minutes or until the top is slightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cornbread rest for at least 20 minutes before cutting and then serve warm. Note: the cornbread tastes best warm, so reheat it in the microwave for about 20-25 seconds or more if it’s been stored in the refrigerator.
This stellar cornbread is a combination of all things comfort—from ricotta to white and orange cheddar cheeses to cornmeal, jalapeños, and buttermilk. Serve with my Beef Chili Like None Other or as a treat unto itself. Any way you serve it, you can’t go wrong!
Nutritional Information: serving size: 1 square, servings per recipe: 9, calories: 268, total fat: 15.2 g., saturated fat: 9.1 g., cholesterol: 76 mg., sodium: 277 mg., total carbohydrate: 25.2 g., dietary fiber: 1.8 g., total sugars: 2.3 g., protein: 8 g., calcium: 120 mg., iron: 2 mg., potassium: 109 mg., vitamin D: 3 mcg.
Sure wish I could be your official taster! This one sounds FABULOUS!
Patty
I wish that you lived closer, Patty, as I can always use another taster! I’ll make some cornbread for you when you come to town or your item of choice on the blog!