At the lake this weekend, I was in charge of lunch so I made a big batch of chili and cornbread.
I made Ina Garten’s Jalapeno Cornbread – the first cornbread I have ever made from complete scratch, I usually just doctor up a box of Jiffy – and oh-em-gee it was so, so, so, so good. Which should come as no surprise because my girl Ina can do no wrong. Ever. (she’s back with new episodes of her show, too!)
Take my word for it and take the extra steps to make this instead of the boxed stuff for your next cornbread. I didn’t have a cast iron skillet, so I just made it in one of those throw away foil pans for easy clean up at the lake. But I’m sure it would be even better in a cast iron!
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 cups milk
- 3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
- ½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease the pan
- 8 ounces aged extra-sharp Cheddar, grated, divided
- ⅓ cup chopped scallions, white and green parts, plus extra for garnish, 3 scallions
- 3 tablespoons seeded and minced fresh jalapeno peppers
- Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and butter. With a wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the dry until most of the lumps are dissolved. Don't overmix! Mix in 2 cups of the grated Cheddar, the scallions and jalapenos, and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking pan.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle with the remaining grated Cheddar and extra chopped scallions. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. (My oven seems to take a bit longer, about 40 minutes). Cool and cut into large squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.
p.s. a fun perk of my husband’s truck is being able to
plug the slow cooker in and get the chili warmed up in the backseat!Â
The corn flour in the basis of this casserole was the best way to achieve the desired result. The taste of the dish was just wonderful thanks to this.