Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread
on Jun 13, 2021, Updated Oct 15, 2024
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Moist cornbread is layered with flavor from jalapenos, scallions, plus a generous amount of shredded cheese.
My family is a big cornbread family, to the extent that my late father (a book publisher) published an entire book about cornbread, called The Cornbread Gospels, written by admired food writer Crescent Dragonwagon. You read that all correctly, and I have sometimes wished I had swapped for a more electric sounding name.
Moist Cornbread
The cheese, jalapenos, and scallions, plus a generous amount of dairy, prevent this bread from becoming dry. Also keep an eye on the baking time; when a toothpick or a skewer inserted into the middle of the cornbread comes out dry or with just a moist crumb or two sticking to it, it’s done.
How to Make Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread From Scratch
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Put the butter in a medium-size ovenproof skillet (preferably cast-iron) or an 8-inch-square or round baking pan and place it in the oven to heat until the pan is hot and the butter is melted, about 4 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, scallions, jalapenos, and cheddar in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix the egg and milk together.
Pour the melted butter from the pan into the egg and milk mixture and whisk to combine (but don’t wipe out the excess melted butter in the pan). Stir the cheddar, scallions, and jalapeno into the dry ingredients. Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir just until they are barely combined.
Scrape the batter into the pan that you used to melt the butter, and spread it evenly. Bake the cornbread until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
Place the skillet on a wire rack to cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve the cornbread hot or warm or at room temperature.
Buttermilk Substitution for Jalapeno Cornbread
Don’t have buttermilk but like the slightly tart flavor? You can easily make a perfect substitute. Just take 1 1/4 cups milk at room temperature (if you need to microwave it for a little bit to get it to room temp, that’s fine), and blend in 1 tablespoon white vinegar or fresh lemon juice. Let it sit for 10 minutes or so.
Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread: Moist cornbread is layered with flavor from jalapenos, scallions, plus a generous amount of shredded cheese.
Storing and Freezing Cornbread
The cornbread can be made ahead and kept, well wrapped, at room temperature for up to 3 days, though after a day or two it’s better toasted to revive the flavor and give it some toasty crunch.
You can also wrap the cornbread tightly in foil and place it in a freezer proof zipper-top bag. Press out any excess air, and store in the freezer for up to 4 months. Thaw at room temperature for several hours before serving. You can reheat it in a 300°F oven until warm if you wish.
What to Serve with Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread
- 2 Ingredient Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
- Slow Cooker BBQ Beer Beef Stew
- Roasted Buffalo Cauliflower Steaks
- Buffalo Chicken and White Bean Chili
- Instant Pot Vegetable Chili
- Texas Red Chili
More Cornbread Recipes
- Molasses Cornbread
- Bacon, Fresh Corn and Oregano Cornbread
- Easy Cornbread
- Cheddar Cornbread
- Pepper Jack and Green Chili Corn Muffins
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Cheddar Jalapeño Cornbread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 ¼ cups cornmeal
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ cup chopped scallions (white and green parts)
- ⅔ shredded cheddar (preferably sharp)
- 1 jalapeno pepper (cored, seeded, and minced)
- 1 large egg
- 1 ¼ cups milk (or buttermilk, or plain yogurt)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.
- Put the butter in a medium-size ovenproof skillet (preferably cast-iron) or an 8-inch-square or round baking pan and place it in the oven to heat until the pan is hot and the butter is melted, about 4 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, scallions, jalapenos and cheddar in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix the egg and milk together. Pour the melted butter from the pan into the egg and milk mixture and whisk to combine (but don’t wipe out the excess melted butter in the pan).
- Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients, and stir just until they are barely combined. Scrape the batter into the pan that you used to melt the butter, and spread it evenly.
- Bake the cornbread until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Place the skillet on a wire rack to cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve the cornbread hot or warm or at room temperature.
