BAKE: Green Chile & Cheese Cornbread

• Green Chile Cheddar Cornbread Ingredients
• Kitchen Equipment Needed
• How to Make Green Chile Cheddar Cornbread
• Storage & Serving Ideas
• Green Chile & Cheese Cornbread

This easy green chile cheese cornbread recipe is tender and flavorful, spicy and cheesy, and sure to be a crowd-pleaser. It’s great as a savory snack, or paired with a hot bowl of soup or chili. It’s moist and just the right mix of cheesy spice and sweet corn goodness.

Sure to be a hit at your next barbecue or tailgate, and unlike our more traditional Southern skillet cornbread recipe, this one is almost as good the next day as it is the day it’s made.

This recipe is a bit more forgiving than our plain Southern cornbread, since the creamed corn and cheese plus additional eggs also help add a lot of moisture to this batter.

These additions help keep it from drying out, so you can make this one ahead of time instead of racing it to the table. I like to bake this in a cast iron skillet, but you can also bake cornbread muffins or in a regular baking dish.

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Green Chile Cheddar Cornbread Ingredients

Cornmeal:

You can use yellow or white cornmeal in this cornbread recipe, as is your preference. Standard cornmeal will give you moist cornbread with a soft, tender crumb. Coarser stone-ground cornmeal bakes up into a heartier, crunchy cornbread.

Flour:

All-purpose flour makes a lighter cornbread, although you can also use whole wheat flour or a blend of the two. I prefer unbleached flour, but use what you have available.

Creamed corn:

This is the secret to making this cornbread so moist and tender, with a rich corn flavor. Add one standard size can of creamed corn to the cornmeal batter.

Cheese:

You can use sharp, medium, or mild cheddar cheese, pepper-jack, or a Mexican melting cheese like Chihuahua or taco mix, or mix it up with a blend.

Green chiles:

I usually use a small can of roasted green chiles, for convenience. You can choose mild, medium, or hot green chiles, according to your spice tolerance.

If you want to substitute fresh green chiles, roast them over a grill or gas flame until the skins are charred. Cover and let rest until cool, then scrape off the skin and remove the stems and seeds. Do not rinse the chiles. Chop them into small dice.

Buttermilk or milk:

Full-fat buttermilk or sweet milk make the moistest green chile cornbread. If you are using sweet (fresh) milk, add two teaspoons of lemon juice or distilled white or apple cider vinegar to the milk and stir it in just before making the cornbread. It will curdle a little, but that’s fine.

You can use 2% or skim if that’s all you have on hand, though your cornbread will be drier, or even canned evaporated milk (though you may want to thin the canned milk slightly, and the flavor will be different).

Eggs:

Three fresh large eggs adds richness, flavor, and helps hold this very moist cornbread together. They also make this cornbread extra tender and rich.

Fat:

I use a mix of neutral vegetable oil (like canola), and a bit of bacon fat or drippings for a smoky flavor. You can also substitute butter, lard or tallow for the vegetable oil if you prefer, but pay extra attention when preheating the pan so that you don’t burn the fat.

The real secret in getting a beautiful crust and tender moist center is in the fat, and specifically, how you add it to the batter. Rather than mixing it into the rest of the ingredients, you’re going to preheat your pan in the oven with the fat until it is hot, and if you’re using butter, just until it begins to brown lightly and foam.

Then, pour your green chile cornbread batter into your scorching hot pan, and lightly swirl in the hot oil in as you level out the batter. Don’t mix it fully- the butter or fat will melt into the cornbread as it bakes, giving you delicious crusty edges and a golden top while the inside stays moist.

Baking powder:

Fresh aluminum-free double or triple acting baking powder bubbles when mixed with the liquid and with the acid in the buttermilk, creating air bubbles that make your cornbread light. Always sift your baking powder through a wire sieve or strainer to remove any lumps.

Check the expiration date on the can, as baking powder loses it’s oomph once it’s opened. Try to use it within six months of opening. It will still work after that, but will be less effective… storing it in a well-sealed container to keep out moisture will help it last longer.

Seasoning:

The chile cheese cornbread is seasoned with a pinch of chili powder blend (use your favorite, or try our homemade chili powder mix from our Five-Alarm chili recipe) and ground cumin. It has a hint of sugar and salt.

Sugar is hydrophilic, meaning it attracts and holds moisture, so it will help keep any leftover cornbread from being as stale the next day. There’s just a hint of sweetness. You can add an extra teaspoon or two if you want a sweeter spicy cornbread. Salt, of course, adds flavor and depth to baked goods, which taste flat without it.

Kitchen Equipment Needed

medium mixing bowl:

A medium sized mixing bowl large enough to hold all the ingredients. If you’re using corn-stick or muffin pans, make sure the bowl is heat-proof since you’ll be adding hot fat to the batter (carefully!).

cast iron skillet, baking pan, or muffin tin:

I usually bake this green chile & cheese cornbread in a 10″ cast iron pan. You can also bake this in muffin tins (the heavier the better, and cast iron if you can get them).

If you’re using muffin tins, preheat the pans and melt your butter or fat separately. Brush the pans well with the melted butter or oil, then pour the sizzling fat into the batter and quickly mix it in before dividing it into the pans.

How to Make Green Chile Cheddar Cornbread

preheat oven, baking pan, and oil:

• Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃ or gas mark 4).
• Put the cast iron skillet or baking pan in the oven to preheat.
• Heat the with the vegetable oil and bacon fat in the pan when your batter is almost ready (you may want to prep out your dry ingredients first unless you are quick at measuring – you don’t want to burn the fats before the rest of the cornbread is ready to bake).
  • If you are using muffin tins, you probably just want to mix the oil in with the wet ingredients, unless you can evenly divide the oil among the muffin tins.

mix dry ingredients:

• In a small mixing bowl, measure out the cornbread, flour, baking powder, salt, and seasonings and whisk well to combine.
• Add the cubed or grated cheddar and toss to coat the cheese with your cornbread mix.

combine wet ingredients:

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, the can of creamed corn and diced green chiles, and the buttermilk.

mix cornbread batter:

• Once the oven and cornbread pan are preheated and the oils are hot, mix the batter. Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl, and fold together just until there are no clumps of dry ingredients.. It will make a thick batter.
• Carefully pour the chile cheese cornbread batter into the preheated pan. The oil should be hot enough that the batter should sizzle a bit as you pour in the batter.
• Lightly swirl in the hot oil in as you level out the batter. Don’t mix it fully – the butter or fat will melt into the cornbread as it bakes, giving you delicious crusty edges and a golden top while the inside stays moist.

bake green chile cornbread:

• Carefully place the pan in the center of the 350℉ oven (180℃ or gas mark 4).
• Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean.
• Cornbread muffins will cook in about half the time… check them after 20 minutes, and use a skewer once the tops are set and lightly golden brown.

Storage & Serving Ideas

This chile and cheese cornbread is most delicious when still warm and fresh from the oven, but unlike some other styles of cornbread (like southern skillet cornbread) you don’t have to run with this one to the table.

The creamed corn, additional egg, buttermilk, and oil work together to make this cornbread super moist, so it reheats and keeps quite well.

I recommend wrapping any leftovers well, and refrigerating or freezing them, especially in warm weather. If your house is cool, you can cover it and leave it out in a cool pantry or bread box for a day or two.

You can eat leftovers at room temperature, or gently warm leftover cornbread from the fridge or freezer in the oven, a toaster oven, or microwave.

It’s also great cut into cubes and toasted, then tossed with tomatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper and onion to make a Tex-Mex panzanella salad, or crumble it into bowls of chili or hot white bean soup.