jalapeño and cheddar cornbread

Cornbread is a Southern staple and makes the perfect partner to any meal. Add in the spice of the jalapeños and the savory cheddar cheese and you have a cornbread that dreams are made of. True to Southern tradition, we usually use a large cast-iron skillet to make our cornbread. But, if you don’t have one, this works just as well baked in an 8 × 8–inch baking dish. Feel free to add as many jalapeños as you and your taste buds can handle. Jilly often serves this at brunch, drizzled with a bit of maple syrup and presented alongside eggs and bacon. Yum! So shake things up and try this gluten-free cornbread for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

SERVES 6 TO 8

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus additional for topping

1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour blend (we’ve used Arrowhead Mills Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Mix)

1 cup finely ground cornmeal

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder

2 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

image cup buttermilk

2 large eggs plus 1 large egg white, lightly beaten

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

½ cup canned creamed corn

3 small green onions, thinly sliced

2 to 3 jalapeño chilies, seeded, deveined, and finely chopped

STEPS

image Preheat the oven to 400°F.

image In a cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat, melt the 1 tablespoon butter. If using an 8 × 8–inch baking dish instead, simply grease the bottom of the dish with some of the butter and place the remainder in the bottom of the dish. Set the skillet or dish aside.

image Sift the flour blend, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together into a large bowl.

image In a small bowl mix the buttermilk and eggs together well.

image Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients to thoroughly mix.

image Fold in the cheese, creamed corn, green onions, and chilies, and stir until well combined.

image Pour the mixture into the prepared skillet or baking dish and dab a bit more butter on top.

image Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown.

image Leave to cool in the pan or dish for a few minutes before slicing and serving while warm.