Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread
Cornbread is one of my favorite comfort foods, which I grew up with, channeling fond memories of my youth. I remember in my teens, my mother would make Marie Callender’s cornbread from the mix. It was characteristically sweet and had a cakelike quality. Then, in college, I recall being served the most delicious jalapeño cheddar cornbread over winter break at a friend’s house. It haunted me in the most positive way, so, two decades later, I tried to recreate this cornbread of my past, putting together a concoction with cream style corn. This wasn’t a good idea—it was a soupy disaster. Then, the second time around, I omitted the cream style corn and added among other ingredients, ricotta cheese, cornmeal, jalapeños, buttermilk, and two cheddar cheeses. The payoff was a moist cornbread, with a little kick from the jalapeño, and a nice balance of sweetness to saltiness. Voilà! I had achieved 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
- 2 diced jalapeños
- ½ cup or 1 stick unsalted butter, I use Kerrygold's
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- ½ cup sharp white cheddar cheese
- ½ cup medium cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup reduced-fat buttermilk
- 2 eggs, I use pasture-raised
- ½ cup whole kernel, super sweet corn, from a can
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 ½ cup. Reserve in a large mixing bowl. Next, grate the cheeses, if they come in a block, and add to the mixing bowl with the jalapeños. After this, spoon the ricotta and 2 beaten eggs into the same mixing bowl. Then, pour the buttermilk into the bowl with the cheese, jalapeño, and eggs. Next, measure out ½ cup of the canned corn and add it to this same bowl. Then, cut the stick of butter into chunks and place it in a separate, microwave-safe bowl, covered with a paper towel, so the butter doesn’t splatter everywhere. Heat the butter in the microwave until it melts and pour into the mixing bowl with the buttermilk, eggs, jalapeños, corn, and cheeses. Stir well.
- Step 4 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—the buttermilk, eggs, butter, cheeses, jalapeños, and corn kernels. Stir until incorporated.
- Step 5 Grease an 8×8-inch 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 10 minutes before cutting and then serve warm. Note: the cornbread tastes best warm, so reheat it in the microwave for about 20-25 seconds 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!