Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread

This jalapeño cheddar cornbread is the BEST. It’s the perfect complement to chili or barbecue, or great for snacking on by itself!

I love to make this cornbread with my Creamy Chicken Chili that I cook in the crockpot. So to make my life easier, I prep everything the night before. Then when I get home from work, I just have to mix it all together and bake it!
For this reason, I broke up the instructions into what to do the night before/next day, but you can just as easily do it all at once.

The trick to this cornbread is lightly sautéing the onion, jalapeño, garlic, and corn. You can skip this step if you’re feeling lazy but I promise that those few extra minutes will add extra depth and flavor to the finished product!

Prep: Night before

In a medium skillet, sauté the onions and jalapeños in 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Then add in the garlic and corn and sauté for about 5 more minutes (add extra butter if needed).

Let cool and then transfer into an airtight container and place in the fridge.

Shred your 8 oz block of white cheddar cheese (I personally love sharp Vermont cheddar, but you do you) and store in an airtight container in the fridge as well.
Note: block cheese is a little healthier for you than pre-shredded cheese in the bag. This is due to additives like cellulose that they put in shredded cheese to keep it from clumping. It's also usually the same price, so buy the block and shred it yourself!

Cook and serve

Mix together the self rising corn meal, sugar, cayenne and adobo. Add in the egg, buttermilk, sautéed veggies, green onions, and half the shredded cheddar and mix until fully combined.

Pour into a seasoned cast iron skillet* and top with the remainder of the cheese.
*even when my cast iron is seasoned, I like to rub it with a little extra butter for flavor.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and fluffy. An inserted toothpick should come out mostly clean (may be crumby but not wet).

For cornbread muffins: pour batter into greased muffin tin until just below the surface (they will rise) and top with a sprinkle of cheese. Bake 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and fluffy. An inserted toothpick should come out mostly clean (may be crumby but not wet).

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

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