Originally this bread was going to be part of a semi-balanced meal. But I left the chicken in the Crockpot too long, and it ended up black and crispy. Gross. Then I bought new chicken, but we decided we weren’t really that hungry. So we just had this for dinner.

If you can’t tell, this is not really the kind of cornbread you put honey on. It’s more like the kind of cornbread you eat five pieces of, plain, while it is still hot. Or the kind you eat two pieces of, with a side of butter pecan ice cream, when you are supposed to be at the pool. Not that I would know.

An important note: You should wear gloves while handling jalapeños, or at least wash your hands multiple times after handling them. And DO NOT touch your face or eyes (or anything else, really) until you’ve washed your hands really well. Trust me on this.

Also be sure you get rid of all the seeds. Those things are killer.

I think I have made this without the scallions and it was fine. But you really should put them in, if possible.

Note that you need to let the batter sit for 20 minutes before you pour it into the dish and bake it. It actually works out pretty well if you are making something else at the same time — you can let it sit while you are assembling the other item.

I also recommend letting the milk, eggs and melted butter come to roughly room temperature before you mix the liquids together, or you may end up with weird butter globules (as I did — milk was too cold) or scrambled eggs.

Ina Garten says to cut this into ginormous squares — like 12 total. But I think 15 is more reasonable.

Jalapeño cheddar cornbread (From Barefoot Contessa at Home)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups milk (at room temperature)
3 large eggs, slightly beaten (at room temperature)
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted (and cooled slightly)
8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar, grated and divided
1/3 cup chopped scallions (about 3), white and green parts, plus extra for garnish
3 tablespoons seeded and minced fresh jalapeño peppers (2 to 3 peppers)

Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs and butter. With a wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the dry until most of the lumps are dissolved. (But don’t overmix — it won’t be totally smooth) Mix in 2 cups of the grated cheese*, the scallions and jalapeños. Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease** a 9x13x2-inch baking pan.

Pour the batter into the pan, smooth the top and sprinkle with remaining cheese and extra chopped scallions. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool and cut into squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.

*You should really grate the cheese yourself. That kind that comes in a bag melts weirdly.
**I usually use butter for pan-greasing