Cheesy Cornbread

And I mean cheesy in the best way possible! There are a few baked goods that will always capture my attention.  These are the treats that will make me forget any food sensitivities, any self-imposed calorie restrictions, or any sensible choices (read: salad or rice cakes)  The baked goods in this category include carrot cake, biscuits, kouign amman, cannelés and cornbread.  Yep, I exuberantly put cornbread and cannelés in the same category!

I have been known to fry up some sausage, onions and peppers just so that I can add them to a sudden craving for cornbread, and call it dinner.

I have a favourite sweet treat of Rhubarb Mint Cornbread on the blog already.  Oh yes, rhubarb works wonderfully in the slightly sweetened textured cornbread.  If you haven’t tried it, what are you waiting for?!

My Basic Classic Cheesy Cornbread

But then I realized, that I have never shared the classic cornbread recipe that makes my heart flutter.  The cornbread that I serve next to chilli or beef stew.  The cornbread that goes perfectly with black bean soup.  The cornbread that I slice up and snack on throughout the day. 

This is a simple two bowl, one wooden spoon kind of recipe. This is a perfectly textured, honey sweetened cornbread that has a slight kick at the very end, thanks to some chilli pepper.  Not so much that it is overpowering, just enough that keeps this cornbread from being totally on the sweet side.  I like my cornbread to feel like is a savoury addition to a meal, not dessert.

But the fun part is the cheese.  Nothing fancy here.  Good ole cheddar cheese.  But I add it in two forms.  Grated, and cubed. Grating ensures that there is a cheesy presence with every bite.  But the cubes add such a decadent nuance to this cornbread.  Every once in a while you are treated to a melted cheesy bite.  And this is why this cornbread will become your favourite as well, I promise. 

Oh and yes, you’ll need to add a grater to the equipment list, but I think you can scrounge one up. I love baking it up in a cast iron skillet.  Because just before I add the batter to the pan, I spread a layer of butter around all the surfaces of the pan.  This butter turns the edges into the best, slightly crunchy exterior, as it bakes in the oven.

Final Thoughts

This cornbread tastes great warm, but I have been known to sneak slices first thing in the morning with an egg!

With this recipe, you have all you need for a classic cornbread. Go ahead and fry up some onions or chopped peppers and add them. Create your own version of the uber cornbread. But it all starts with this. A great base, that stands alone as the cornbread you always crave. This is why you’ll find it in the Pantry section of the blog as well.  It is a base for so many other options.

Your search is over. You’re welcome!

Love Jen

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Cheesy Cornbread

The perfect tender, moist cornbread. Not too cakey, not too crumbly. With a balance of honey and cayenne pepper, and the bonus of all sorts of cheesy goodness. A perfect side to chilli or black bean soup.

Course Baking

Cuisine American

Keyword cornmeal,honey,cayenne pepper,cheddar cheese,buttermilk

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 10

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp (57g) butter for melting
• 1 tbsp softened butter, for greasing the skillet
• 1 cup (135g) All Purpose flour
• 1 cup (165g) cornmeal
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or more if you really want to!
• 1 cup (110g) grated cheddar cheese divided
• 1/2 cup (65g) cubed cheddar cheese about 1/4 inch cubes
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup (250 ml) buttermilk or sour milk see Notes below
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) runny honey

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Place the 4 tbsp of butter in a small pot and melt over low heat. Set aside to cool a touch.

3. Take the softened butter and evenly grease a 10 inch cast iron skillet or baking pan (it can be a 8 x10 inch or similar)

4. In a large bowl combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt and cayenne pepper.
5. In a small bowl, gently beat the eggs. Add the buttermilk, the runny honey (spray the measuring cup with non-stick spray first before pouring honey into it- will release much easier!) and the melted butter. Stir to combine.
6. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet ones. Gently combine without over-mixing. It doesn't have to be completely mixed.
7. Add 1/2 cup of the grated cheddar cheese, plus all the cubed cheese to the mixture and give one more good stir to combine.
8. Pour the batter into the greased pan.
9. Bake on the centre rack for 20 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup grated cheese evenly over the top of the cornbread and bake for another 8-10 minutes. A skewer inserted into the bread should come out clean.
10. Cool for about 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

Recipe Notes

To replace buttermilk, just add 1 tbsp of white vinegar to 1 cup of milk and let sit for about 5 minutes. It will sour perfectly

You can bake up this batter as muffins as well. It will fill about 12 regular sized muffins. Give them about 15-20 minutes in the oven, but check at the 15 minute mark.