This post for smoked cheddar candied jalapeno cornbread updated March 2016 as part of the #ThrowbackThursday photography project where I add better photos to already delicious recipes!
I got a new toy! After years of wanting a cast iron skillet and for some unknown reason, not actually purchasing one, I have my very own! Actually, it’s not quite my very own as I plan to pick up at least one more soon so I can gift one to Princess A when she’s all grown up and has her own kitchen. I want her first piece of cast iron to be familiar, seasoned with a lifetime of love and happy memories, a way for her to feel we are near even if she travels far. That way she’ll only have to step into her kitchen to be “home” again.
I also strongly believe certain things just taste better cooked in cast iron. Meats sear beautifully, chicken fries better, vegetables carmelize to develop irresistible crispy bits, and breads develop a crust you just can’t duplicate with any other piece of cooking equipment. This is why I almost never made cornbread before. Not that it didn’t taste good, but I wanted that golden brown crust at the bottom! And now I have it, and I needed to tweak my cornbread recipe to create this.
It’s loaded with cheese, and the sweet hot bite of candied jalapenos, and it’s beyond words. The Godfather doesn’t even really like cornbread and he was not happy when I kind of sort of maybe definitely ate the entire piece I cut for pictures without sharing. We always share the first slice of bread, and he only got a bitty bite. The rest disappeared in the two minutes he was out of the room with a nibble here and a bit there. I couldn’t help it!
The night before we started our Whole 7, we had this cornbread with my crockpot chili. It’s a comforting accompaniment, but I really wanted to eat some the next morning with an egg! Next time…
This recipe uses the candied jalapenos I wrote about here. I have yet to find anything like them in stores, so if you don’t have any, it just takes an hour to make a decent sized batch. 😉
Notice my “helper’s” hand in the background? I think she liked it…
Note about the new photos…
The funny thing about these pictures, is that even the “reshoot” pictures are several months old. I never got around to updating them, and I see the changes in my photography style and understanding of basic principles from then to now. I’m not planning to update again, but I’m really enjoying this project as a way to gauge progress.
Smoked Cheddar Candied Jalapeno Cornbread
Cheesy, savory, sweet spicy cornbread - another fabulous recipe using my candied jalapenos (recipe on my blog)
Ingredients
- 8 oz smoked cheddar cut into 1/4" cubes
- 1 c yellow cornmeal
- 1/3 c all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 egg
- 1 c buttermilk
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 3 tbsp chopped candied jalapeno slices
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 F
- Melt 2 tbsp butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. If you do not have cast iron, a stone baking dish is the next best option, followed by metal. Simply coat those with butter to prevent sticking.
- Combine the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
- Combine the egg, buttermilk in another bowl. Melt the remaining 2 tbsp butter and add to your wet ingredients.
- Mix the wet ingredients into the dry and stir to combine.
- Stir in the jalapenos and cheese.
- Pour the entire mixture into your skillet and use a spatula to distribute evenly and smooth the top.
- Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until the cornbread is baked through.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Pin for later…
