Our Favorite Sweet & Spicy Cornbread

Years ago I was gifted a copy of the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que: An American Roadhouse cookbook because it’s one of our favorite restaurants in the area. You have to know how much I love being able to make our favorite dishes at home.

While I love the original recipe, I’ve done plenty of tinkering over the years. This version is the clear winner. I add sweet corn, shredded cheese, and pickled jalapeños for just enough heat without overwhelming the cornbread. It disappears every single time I make it.

Cheddar Jalapeño Cornbread

A little spicy, a little sweet, and the perfect side for grilled pork chops, ribs, or a big bowl of chili.

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Course Side Dish

Ingredients

  

• 1¼ cups yellow cornmeal
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¾ cup flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs slightly beaten
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ cup melted butter
• ½ cup cooked corn kernels
• 1 cup shredded cheese Cheddar or Pepper Jack
• ¼ cup minced pickled jalapeños
• 1 tablespoon honey for brushing the top

Let’s Cook!

 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Grease an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with shortening and place the pan in the oven while you prepare the batter.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and melted butter
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until everything is moistened.
• Gently fold in the cheese, jalapeños, and corn
• Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven and pour in the batter.
• Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and brush the top with honey.
• Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before cutting into squares.

Notes From My Kitchen

• This is a great way to use up that lone ear of cooked corn that always seems to be hanging around the fridge during the summer.
• If you aren’t a fan of the heat, omit the jalapeños
• Any leftovers freeze beautifully. Wrap individual slices in plastic wrap. 

Keyword cornbread, spicy, sweet

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: one of the things that I love about cooking is taking a recipe and making it my own.

Eat well friends!

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