Spicy Gouda Skillet Cornbread

Cornbread for a rainy day… Spicy Gouda Skillet Cornbread with green chilies in the crumb.

For dry ingredients: 1/2 cup stone-ground cornmeal, 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup spicy Gouda, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon baking powder. 1 1/2 tablespoons green chilies, 2 tablespoons slivered or minced red onion. 1 1/4 cups half ‘n half milk cream.

Melt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter; cool before stirring into eggs and milk.

Sprinkle 1/3 cup vegetable oil with cayenne pepper.  Reserve the oil for the cast iron skillet; not in the batter.

Beat the eggs–of course.

Whisk into 3 beaten whole eggs the green chilies, red onion, and cooled butter.

Dry, first, with cheese into flour…

Make a well.

Fill the center with egg/milk/veggie mixture.

Be careful not to over-mix, and stir slowly.  Prevent an overworked, toughened bread this way.

Preheat a black cast-iron skillet in a 375-degree F. heated oven with the peppered oil, 1/3 cup… then scoop in the batter without getting splattered with hot grease!  Spread it, mash it in there. This will insure a crunchy crust where flavors cluster together into a southern cornbread.

Bake 35-45 minutes, depending on your oven.

And of course, as always, what would hot cornbread be without warmed butter in and through it.  It goes together.

To let you know, this would be a good choice of cornbread to put into cornbread dressing for roasted chicken… a thought.  “Who da thunk it/who’d a thunk it.”  Only in the South.

“Why don’t you go back to your double-wide and fry something!”  Sweet Home Alabama