Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread
I'm sure most of us have had very bad cornbread (I know I have!). And don't even get me started on how bad the boxed cornbread mixes are. Convenience doesn't always equal flavorful (or healthful for that matter). You may not even realize that you probably have the ingredients to make cornbread from scratch right in your pantry. If you've never made cornbread from scratch, you're in for a real treat. And Ina Garten's Jalapeno-Cheddar version is spectacular.
I know I've said this before, but I've never been disappointed by Ina Garten's recipes. They always work. I own all of her cookbooks and many of her recipes have become my "go-to" recipes for parties, special occasions, or just a quiet dinner at home.
The key to making Ina's recipes (or any recipe for that matter) is to keep the concept of "best of class" in mind. It means using quality ingredients each and every time. You could be making something as simple as meatloaf, but if you use the best quality ingredients to make it, you will have a fantastic meatloaf every time. This cornbread is out-of-this-world delicious because the ingredients are of good quality--the jalapenos and scallions are fresh, and using aged white cheddar gives the cornbread unbelievable flavor and moistness.
The trick to making sure your cornbread comes out with a light crumb is to make sure you don't over-mix when you add the wet ingredients into the dry, and to also mix with a light hand. Use a big enough bowl to accommodate all the ingredients with a little room to spare so that when you are mixing, the batter doesn't fall out of the bowl. And be sure to plan ahead--once mixed, the batter needs to rest at room temperature for twenty minutes. This allows the cornmeal to absorb the milk, eggs and melted butter. You will notice that the batter will be incredibly thick when you go to pour it into the baking pan, and that's exactly what you want. Once you pull it out of the oven and cut yourself a square to taste, I'm sure this will become your "go-to" cornbread recipe.
Jalapeno-Cheddar Cornbread
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 T. baking powder
2 tsp. salt
2 cups milk (whole or 2%)
3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
2 sticks (1/2 pound) butter, melted and cooled, plus extra for greasing the baking pan
8 ounces aged extra-sharp white Cheddar cheese, grated and divided
1/3 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts, plus extra for garnishing (about 3-4 scallions)
3 T. seeded and minced fresh jalapeno peppers (2-3 peppers, depending on size)Prep your ingredients: Melt the butter over low heat and allow to cool. Wash and dry and chop the scallions and jalapenos and set them aside. Grate the cheddar and set aside.
Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside. In another bowl, combine the milk, eggs and cooled, melted butter. Transfer the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently with a wooden spoon until most of the lumps are dissolved, making sure not to over-mix. Add in most of the grated Cheddar (reserve a little bit), scallions and jalapenos and mix to combine. Let the batter sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan with some melted butter or cooking spray.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth out the top with a spatula. Sprinkle with the remaining Cheddar and the reserved chopped scallions.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden skewer comes out clean. Cool in the baking pan and cut into large squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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