Jalapeno and cheddar cheese add fantastic flavor to cornbread. There are a lot of jalapenos in this recipe but if you remove the seeds and pith, they will not overwhelm the cornbread. Baking the peppers also reduces their 'fire power" so the spice level is actually quite mild.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time25 minutesmins
Total Time40 minutesmins
Course: Side Dishes
Cuisine: American
Keyword: baking, cornbread, cornbread with jalapeno peppers, jalapeno and cheese cornbread, jalapeno cheddar cornbread, jalapeno cornbread
Servings: 16servings
Author: Dahn Boquist
Ingredients
1-½cupsyellow cornmealsee notes
1cupall-purpose flour
3tablespoonssugar
1-½teaspoonsbaking powder
¾teaspoonsbaking soda
1-½teaspoonssalt
1-¼cupsbuttermilk milk
2eggs
6tablespoonsbuttermelted
2tablespoonsolive oil
1-½cupsshredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 to 5jalapeño peppersseeded and diced
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a 9-inch square pan with non-stick spray.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk eggs, melted butter, and olive oil. Pour into the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Fold in the cheddar cheese and jalapeño peppers.
Spread in the prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the cornbread cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges to loosen the sides and invert onto a cooling rack.
Notes
Look for finely ground cornmeal (also sold as "bolted cornmeal"). Finely ground cornmeal will give you a much more tender crumb than coarse-ground cornmeal.
Wear gloves when you chop the jalapeno peppers or wash your hands well after handling them. Chopping them releases capsaicin which can burn your eyes if you touch your face.
The seeds and the white membrane inside the peppers have the highest concentration of capsaicin. Scrape them out completely or they will overwhelm your cornbread with too much heat.
Use a 9-inch square pan or a 10-inch round pan for the best results. A smaller pan will take much longer to bake and a larger pan will make very thin cornbread.