This cornbread is delicious and moist and the perfect summer side dish! (Well, it’s also amazing any time of year:) This recipe has been in our family for a decades, but only recently have we started adding fresh grilled corn cut right off the cob. Back in the old days, we used to use canned cream of corn, but fresh is always so much better! Next time you make grilled corn on the cob, (see our Cajun grilled corn on the cob) toss on an extra ear or two for this amazing Spicy Southwest Cornbread. Made with cornmeal, corn flour, bacon, onions, garlic, diced jalapeños and poblanos, red bell pepper, and sharp cheddar cheese it’s full of delicious goodies in every bite!
Ever since we first discovered Professor Torbert’s Orange Corn products, we’ve made a gluten-free version of the cornbread by eliminating the all-purpose flour and sticking to the cornmeal and corn flour. It’s such a beautiful color and also more nutritious than other corn products. The orange corn that they grow has increased levels of antioxidant pigments called carotenoids. Those are micronutrients that you can find throughout nature that are responsible for the yellow, orange and even red color of vegetables and fruits such as carrots, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, melons and squash. Carotenoids are good for growth, a healthy immune system and for eye health.
You can buy Professor Torbert’s corn products in many markets and also online, but even if you cannot find them, use regular cornmeal and corn flour for this recipe. It works just as well, and we actually like it so much better than using all-purpose flour in place of the corn flour.
Right out of the oven, this cornbread is amazing, but it holds up well in the refrigerator for several days, and after the first day, we like to crisp up pieces of cornbread in the cast iron skillet. It melts the cheese and gives a nice crunchy edge to the bread. Just cook it in a tiny bit of olive oil over medium heat until it’s as crispy and golden brown as you like it!
Spicy Southwest Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups cornmeal we use Professor Torbert’s Orange Cornmeal
- 1 1/4 cups corn flour we use Professor Torbert’s Orange Corn Flour
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeno, stem removed, seeded and finely diced
- 1/2 poblano pepper, stem removed, seeded and diced
- 1 orange or red bell pepper, stem removed, seeded and chopped
- 1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 3 strips bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled, or chopped can use pork, turkey or duck bacon
- 1 1/2 cups fresh grilled corn cut off the cob you can use frozen corn, too
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° F. Grease or spray a 9×13 baking dish. Set aside.
- Cut corn off the cob so it’s all ready to add to the bread batter.
- Mix all dries in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs, oil and milk and stir well to blend.
- Add all of the fun ingredients: onions, peppers, garlic, cheese, bacon, bell pepper and corn and mix well.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean and the top of the bread is nicely golden brown. Cool for about 10-15 minutes before serving.
- If you are heating up leftover cornbread, heat a little bit of oil in a cast iron skillet and cook it just until heated through and the edges begin to get crispy.
