Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread

Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread

• • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced

  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

  • 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced

  • 1 can yellow corn, drained

  • 1 1/4 cups cornmeal

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar

  • 1 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/3 cup skim milk

  • 1 cup low-fat buttermilk

  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten

  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

  • 1 cup grated cheddar cheese (optional)

(Note: the vegetables are optional, so if you leave them out, reduce the flour by 1/2 cup, since the extra flour compensates for the moisture in the vegetables.)

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Place a large cast iron skillet in the oven to heat (I used a 12-inch enameled cast iron pan, and this recipe filled it up; without the vegetables, a 9-10 inch pan would be big enough).

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and red bell pepper, with a pinch of salt, and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Stir in the jalapeno and corn and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, black pepper, baking powder and baking soda. Stir in the milk, buttermilk and eggs, just until moistened. Add 7 tablespoons of the melted butter, and stir in the vegetables. Stir in the cheese.

Remove the skillet from the oven (carefully, it's hot!) and brush the bottom and sides with the last tablespoon of melted butter. Pour the batter into the skillet.

Reduce the oven temperature to 375 F. Return the skillet to the oven and bake for 25 minutes. If desired, sprinkle the top with a little more cheese, and place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes until browned and golden.

Cool for about 10 minutes then cut into wedges and serve.

Yields 8-10 servings.

Recipe adapted from Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread by Alex Guarnaschelli.