Jalapeno-Cheddar Cornbread!

Cornbread is simple enough to teach to a child. As they grow, both physically and gastronomically, they will begin to improvise. A great addition is cheese and something spicy, and that's what we have here. You can have this ready in under half an hour and everyone will enjoy it. Have I piqued your curiosity? Come with me and I'll show you how!

You will need:
A 4 oz.(113 g) can of diced jalapenos*
4 oz.(113 g) sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded*
3/4 cup(118 g) yellow cornmeal
1 1/4 cup(175 g) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup(50 g) granulated white sugar
2 teaspoons(8 g) baking powder
1 cup(237 mL) whole milk
1/4 cup(59 mL) neutral flavored oil(I prefer canola)
1 large egg, room temperature

*These ingredients are variable. You could opt to leave out the jalapenos, to use fresh jalapenos, or to use something even spicier. You could also use any cheese you like in place of Cheddar.

Preheat the oven to 400F and, in a medium mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, and baking powder.

Add the cheese. Drain the peppers and add to the bowl.

Whisk the mixture(now known as dry ingredients) until they're well-combined and evenly distributed.

Combine the milk, egg, and oil.

Whisk well.

Add the egg, oil, and milk mixture to the dry ingredients.

Whisk well, making sure there are no dry pockets of flour or cornmeal in the mixture.

Grease a 8" or 9" cast iron skillet liberally.

Pour in the batter and smooth over evenly with a spatula. Bake on the center rack for 20-25 minutes.

When done, the outer edge should be golden-brown and, when poked with a skewer or toothpick in the center, it should come out dry or with just a few moist crumbs.

Let cool for 2-3 minutes.

Use a table knife to run between the cornbread and the skillet walls to make sure that it doesn't stick.

Cut into pieces and serve warm, maybe with some butter. Anyway, now you know how; cook on!