If you like your cornbread with a bit of a kick, then this recipe is for you. The jalapeños add the heat, which you control, and the cheddar adds a tasty salty, cheesy flavor. And using both flour and cornmeal gives it a moist, cake-like texture, not gritty like some cornbreads. But what makes this cornbread so good is by cooking it in a cast iron skillet.

This cornbread gets its crunchy, buttery crust when the batter is poured into a sizzling, hot skillet with some bacon drippings (everything’s better with bacon, right?!) The cast iron retains heat while baking, resulting in a wonderful golden crust and crisp edges.

This goes great with chili, but also pairs well with any type of greens, BBQ pork, or black bean soup. Use it in your holiday stuffing, or just enjoy it on its own, with a little bit of butter or honey.

Ingredients

• 1¼  cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup fine cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt 
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup sweet corn cooked ( used frozen kernels and cooked to package directions)
• ½  cup buttermilk 
• 1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, diced small (cut about 6-8 slices to place on top)
• ½ cup sweet onion, diced small
• 1½  cups sharp cheddar cheese grated, plus more for top before baking
• ¾ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 ½ tablespoons bacon drippings

Preparation.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Mix the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

Place the corn and buttermilk in a medium bowl, stirring until well blended. Lightly beat the eggs and add to the corn mixture, along with the cheddar cheese.

In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar until smooth. Add the corn mixture and stir until just blended. Fold in the diced jalapeños and onions and mix in the dry ingredients.

Heat a 10-inch cast iron skillet for a couple of minutes, until hot. Remove it from the oven and carefully coat the sides and bottom with bacon grease. Spoon batter in to hot pan and quickly top with a bit more grated cheddar cheese and jalapeño slices.

Bake until top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 25 to minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Bon appétit!

Eat, drink and be merry!