How to Make Jalapeño Cornbread for Thanksgiving

Hey, Thanksgiving is around the corner. How could you not want this Windsor cornbread recipe?

“Well, I’m from Texas,” Eric Ramirez says, offering his simple, highly credible rationale for putting jalapeño cornbread on the menu at The Windsor in Central Phoenix. Also a factor: The Sunday supper favorite pairs perfectly with the comfort-food standards that Ramirez devised for the upscale pub in his capacity as culinary director for the Upward Projects restaurant group. “Fried chicken is one of our signature dishes, and we’ve had chili as our soup of the day. Nothing goes better with chili than cornbread.”

Ramirez, who also oversees the menus at Postino, Joyride Taco House and Federal Pizza, stresses that home chefs can swap out the jalapeño for any seasonal pepper of their choice (“Hatch chiles, roasted Fresnos, whatever… it’s all good”) but recommends sticking with the creamed corn stipulated in the recipe below. “It retains the moisture, and stands up to the heat if you reheat it later,” he says. “It’s great day-after food.”

Jalapeño Cornbread

Ingredients

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. kosher salt
1/2 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
5 oz. unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup pickled jalapeños
1 cup creamed corn
1 cup shredded cheddar

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees and simultaneously heat a cast-iron pan in the oven.
2. In a large bowl, mix cornmeal, baking soda, salt and flour together and set aside.
3. Mix butter and sugar in a separate bowl until smooth and uniform.
4. Fold milk, eggs, jalapeños, cheddar and creamed corn into the butter-sugar mixture. Combine well.
5. Gradually introduce the wet ingredients into the dry ingredient bowl, mixing well. Do not over-mix the batter. A few lumps should be present.
6. Removing the cast-iron pan from the oven, lay the batter evenly in the pan or about 1 ½1/2 inches high.
7. Bake for 20 minutes. Use a toothpick to check doneness. Poke at the center and the toothpick should come out dry. If not, bake another five minutes. Repeat.