Saturday Stirrings - Jalapeno Cornbread!

For more Saturday Stirrings recipes or tips, visit Carol at I Throw Like A Girl.

Jalapeno Cornbread

Everytime I make this cornbread, I wonder why I don't make it more often. It's "flat-out" good.

1 cup cornmeal (I use Martha White corn meal mix - no need to add salt or baking soda if you use the self-rising mix) ***

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup cream style yellow corn

1/3 cup oil

2/3 buttermilk

1 - 4 oz. can green chili-peppers, chopped (The amount of chili peppers you use determines the "heat" in your cornbread. I like heat so I use all of the chilis.)

1 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

Combine all ingredients, except cheese, in a bowl. Mix well and pour 1/2 batter into hot, oiled black skillet (large one) or into a greased 9" square baking pan. Sprinkle cheese and cover with remaining batter. Bake @ 375 for 30 - 40 minutes. The top should be golden. Do not overbake.

*** If you use corn meal that is not self-rising, add 1/2 t. baking soda & 1/2 t. salt

My tips for great cornbread: I always use the Martha White self-rising corn meal mix. This way I never have to add additional salt, soda or baking powder. Also I always use an iron skillet. When I make cornbread I put enough oil in the skillet to cover the bottom and then some. While I mix the batter, I have the oiled skillet heating in the oven. I use the "hand over the skillet" method to determine whether the oil is hot enough. It's ready just at the smoking point. I swirl the oil in the skillet to coat the sides and then pour about 1/2 of the hot oil into the batter for regular cornbread. Stir quickly and pour the batter into the skillet. (For this jalapeno cornbread recipe, no need to add more oil from the skillet to the batter as there is already a 1/3 cup in the batter.) If you hear the "sizzle" when you pour the batter into the skillet, that is music to your cornbread ears! That means your edges will be crispy. Please do not try this cornbread unless you have buttermilk; I fear you will be disappointed.

The original recipe is from Southern Elegance (Junior League of Gaston County, NC).

My only tweak to this is using the cornmeal mix rather than cornmeal, salt & baking soda.

The last time I posted a cornbread recipe, I was contacted by Crescent Dragonwagon, the author of The Cornbread Gospels (Workman Publishing).

She very kindly sent me a copy of her book. There are over 200 recipes in her book and I have enjoyed reading about the differences in "southern" and "northern" cornbread. She includes recipes for quick breads, yeasted breads, spoonbreads and griddled & crisped breads!

If you are a cornbread connoisseur, you'll enjoy the book, too!

Happy Jalapeno-ing,

Melanie