Recipe: Cheesy jalapeño cornbread

This Monday is Memorial Day, the official day we commemorate soldiers who have given their lives for our country. It’s a national holiday and also signifies the kick-off of summer. All across America, and especially in the South, thousands of grills (and barbecue-goers) will get lit!Because meat is generally the main focus of the grill, the sides often get glossed over. But as we all know the sides are what make the Thanksgiving meal, I’m not going to give you yet another meat recipe today. Instead, I’m going to give you a recipe for some of the best darn cornbread ever.I’m not typically a fan of cornbread, but I do love my own cornbread. I like mine moist and rich, full of dimension and flavor, not like the brittle, crumbly kind we used to get on our lunch trays in elementary school. I came up with this recipe for season 3 of my cooking show, Four Senses, and everyone on cast and crew could not get enough of the sweet, spicy, savory stuff.Bring this to the potluck barbecue, and I guarantee people will be asking who made this cornbread? Or if you’re the one hosting the barbecue, send this recipe to a friend and tell them to make two: one for the party, and one as a host gift, all just for you.

Recipe: Cheesy Jalapeño Cornbread

Notes: In addition to summer barbecues, cornbread is great with any southern-style dish from Texas-style chili to Cajun fried turkey.

Ingredients

  1. 1/2 c unsalted butter (1 stick)
  2. 1 (8 ozs) pkg cream cheese
  3. 2/3 c granulated sugar
  4. 2 eggs, beaten
  5. 1 c milk or buttermilk
  6. 1/2 tsp baking soda
  7. 1.5 c bread flour
  8. 1 c yellow cornmeal
  9. 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  10. 1 c grated sharp cheddar
  11. 1 ear roasted corn, shucked & kernels cut off cob
  12. 1/4 c chopped scallions
  13. 9 slices pickled jalapeño peppers, drained & minced

Instructions

  1. Make batter: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt together butter and cream cheese, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Add eggs, whisking constantly to temper. Add milk, baking soda, flour, cornmeal, salt, corn, jalapeños, and 1/2 the cheddar and scallion; Stir until slightly lumpy batter forms; do not over mix.
  2. Bake cornbread: Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into a greased 8” x 8” baking pan and sprinkle with remaining cheddar and scallion. Bake until center is set and toothpick comes out clean, approx 40 to 50m.
  3. Cool before cutting into squares.

Active time: 30m
Total time: 1h 10m
Yields: 9 servings

Previous
Previous

Chile crab and pepper crab at Long Beach in Singapore

Next
Next

Hawker stalls at Lau Pa Sat in Singapore