Loaded Cornbread
Cornbread is divine, but when you add bacon, chiles, corn, and scallions, you get an off-the-charts Loaded Cornbread!
There is nothing that I enjoy more than slathering corn bread with honey and butter and using it to offset the spicy flavors of Mexican food. So what if I loaded it up with wonderful sweet corn, crispy bacon, some spicy chiles and some scallions? Couldn’t it just be that much more amazing?? Yes, is the answer! And, you can still slather the honey butter all over it!,
Begin by crisping up bacon in butter and its own fat. Remove the bacon and add in the corn, chiles and scallions. It seems like a lot of fat (bacon grease and butter) but trust me, you’ll want that. It will absorb into the batter eventually and make the most amazing side dish! I never said this was healthy or lowfat!
Next, combine the dry ingredients: flour, cornmeal, kosher salt, baking powder and baking soda, and spices. Whisk that together.
In a second bowl, whisk the wet ingredients: eggs, sour cream, buttermilk, sugar and cilantro.
Pour the wet ingredients into a well in the center of the dry ingredients and combine by stirring from the middle of the wet ingredients to the exterior, incorporating the dry ingredients as you stir.
The next step is mixing the corn/bacon mixture into the batter. Finally, pour that into a heated oven-proof skillet, cook for a few minutes and transfer the skillet to a preheated oven.
Bake for 25 minutes or so until it’s nicely golden and crunchy-looking. Invert the skillet onto a wire rack, let the cornbread sit for a few minutes and get ready for the honey butter! You are going to love this!
Goes perfect with Chipotle Chicken Corn Enchiladas or Jalapeño-Lime Steak Tacos!
Share Your Thoughts...
Loaded Cornbread
Makes: 4-6 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 20-25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 7 tbsp unsalted butter, plus more for serving
- 3 ounces sliced bacon (3 or 4 slices), coarsely chopped
- 2 cups corn kernels cut from about 2 large ears, or thawed frozen corn kernels
- 4 scallions, chopped
- 1 medium Fresco or jalapeño chile, halved, seeded, and finely chopped
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably coarse
- 1 & 1/2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (0.16 oz / 5g)
- 1 & 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
- Honey & butter for serving
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Melt 5 tablespoons butter in an oven-proof heavy skillet (I like to use a cast-iron skillet) over medium-low heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp. Add the aromatics: corn, scallions, and chile to the skillet with the bacon. Cook until scallions are tender, about 5 minutes. Move to a separate bowl to cool; clean skillet.
Whisk flour, cornmeal, kosher salt, baking powder, black pepper, baking soda, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl.
In a different bowl, whisk eggs to combine and then add sour cream, buttermilk and sugar. Add cilantro.
Add remaining two tablespoons butter to cleaned skillet over medium-high heat.
Add wet ingredients into a well in the dry ingredients. Whisk from the middle to the outside until just incorporated. Add the cooled aromatics (bacon, corn, onions, chiles) to the batter and mix until incorporated. Add batter to skillet and smooth top. It’s okay to have butter come up to the top. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Transfer to oven for 20-25 minutes until the surface is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Once cool, place a wire rack over the top and carefully invert pan and rack.
Serve with honey and butter.
Recipe Reviews