Barefoot Bloggers: Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread

When starting Barefoot Bloggers, I wrote some of the rules as flexible for certain reasons. The fact that I wasn’t able to make and post my Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread last week is a testament to the rule that states that recipes don’t HAVE to be posted on the scheduled posting day – they need to be posted by the end of the month. When writing this rule, I knew there would be weeks where life would get in the way of the recipe and last week was one of them. I won’t go into the details but will mention that I started the Wilton cake decorating class (Wilton 1) which kind of cut into my cooking time…not that I’m complaining. So when I was preparing my menu for my mom’s visit this past weekend, I figured I’d fit the cornbread in somewhere.

This is not a recipe to be skipped. You will not regret making this cornbread. It was so incredibly easy to put together (5-7 minutes tops) and the results are well worth the 20 minute pre-cook wait. I halved the recipe, used a 9″x11″ Pyrex dish and cooked it for 22 minutes. Perfect. Just perfect. I know some BBers mentioned in the Musings post that the cornbread was pretty cakey and not corny enough for them but this was seriously so good – moist, cheesy, delicious, and not at all spicy (I removed the seeds and pulp from the jalapeño). This one’s a keeper!

A big THANKS goes out to Sabrina and Alexander of Cooking with the Kids for choosing such a great recipe!!!

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Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread

source: Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa at Home

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 cups milk
• 3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease the pan
• 8 ounces aged extra-sharp Cheddar, grated, divided
• 1/3 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts, plus extra for garnish, 3 scallions I used chives
• 3 tablespoons seeded and minced fresh jalapeño peppers

1. 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 jalapeños, and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking pan.
3. 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. Cool and cut into large squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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