Cornbread Recipe With Bacon and Jalapenos
Make Cornbread Like a Southerner, Even If You're Not
The secret to great cornbread is a well-seasoned and well-loved cast iron skillet. Also, bacon doesn't hurt.
I consider myself a connoisseur of cornbread, and this decadent recipe from the cookbook Good Grits is a game changer. Speaking of games, it would make a great side for Super Bowl Sunday, especially if you're making chili.
Southern chef Jim Shirley uses not only his grandma's recipe but also her cast-iron skillet. But even if you don't have an heirloom skillet, you can still cook like a Southerner. Writes Shirley in his cookbook: "At my house, this is considered a whole meal: fruit in your glass, veggies from your jalapeños, grain in the bread, dairy in the milk and eggs, and a little fat and protein in the bacon." Get the ultimate cornbread recipe now.
From Good Grits: Southern Boy Cooks by Jim Shirley
This recipe is pretty perfect. The only change I make is that after cooking the bacon, I chop up the strips, then return the bacon pieces to the skillet before pouring in the cornbread mix; it's easier to cut and serve that way and it looks nicer too. The wine instructions are original to the cookbook!
Ingredients
2 cups cornmeal (Martha White yellow self-rising)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 pound melted butter
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup sour cream
4 scallions (chopped, green tips only)
1/4 cup chopped jalapeños
6 slices applewood-smoked bacon
1 bottle Hazy Blur Shiraz
Directions
- Start out by opening a bottle of Hazy Blur Shiraz to prepare the way for some comfort food and possibly cancel the effects of at least 1 of the slices of bacon.
- Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Stir in eggs, butter, buttermilk, sour cream, scallions, and jalapeños.
- Lay out bacon in rows in your grandma's cast iron skillet and cook until done. Pour mix into the hot pan over bacon; don't lose juices. Slide skillet into a 425-degree oven. Relax with a glass of Shiraz for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the baking cornbread comes out clean.
- To serve, flip the bread over onto a serving platter so the bacon comes out on top.
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