Cheddar Habanero Cornbread

Cheddar Habanero Cornbread is a delicoiusly spicy accompaniment to your favorite bowl of chili. It's also perfect for breakfast with butter and honey.

Spice certainly does make things exciting. Indigenous cultures of the Americas have used chilies for culinary and spiritual purposes for centuries, and they soon spread around the world and found their way into countless cuisines. And of course, spice is no stranger to magic.

We use chilies when we want to speed things up and add a boost of energy to a spell. We use chilies to protect us from unwanted outcomes or to blow up any obstacles in our path. The heat that comes from chilies is powerful in our food and deeply symbolic in our spellwork. And in both instances, a little bit goes a long way.

What makes this recipe so awesome?

This Cheddar Habanero Cornbread is cheesy, flavorful, and hearty. It definitely has some serious heat, but habaneros also have a fruity note as well. I just used one finely chopped habanero here, but if you want to be real macho about it, you could use more. Keep in mind, though, that the heat will build as you continue to eat it.

My favorite thing is to serve this cornbread with a bowl of chili, and I don't care if that's homemade or comes from a can. I love to crumble a bit into the bowl to so that each bite is enriched with a bit of spicy cornbread. I also enjoy eating the leftover cornbread the next morning reheated and slathered with salted butter and lots of honey. The combination of sweet, savoury, and spicy is absolutely heavenly.

Magical Properties of Habaneros

I have an entire post detailing the magical and healing properties of chili peppers in general, and everything written there would apply to habaneros. Unfortunately, I'm still on the hunt for other references to confirm if habaneros have any specific magical uses. Using my intuition, I'd recommend you to choose a habanero when you want the properties of chili to be especially potent as this is one of the hottest chili peppers available.

You could also incorporate color magic into your spell. With their vivid orange, habaneros could bring a burst of energy to a spell for creativity or confidence. You could also call on it to help light up your sacral chakra.

For more on the magical properties of the ingredients in this recipe, check out the Kitchen Magick page.

Tips for making Cheddar Habanero Corn Bread

This is a relatively straightforward recipe adapted from Alton Brown's I'm Just Here for More Food. Before you do anything, turn your oven on high and put a cast iron skillet in the oven to heat up along with it.

When it come to making your batter, start by soaking your cornmeal in milk and get on with measuring out the rest of your dry ingredients in the meantime. When your 15 minutes are up, add the remaining wet ingredients to your soaked cornmeal, then bring wet and dry together to combine. Finally, fold in your cheese and chopped chilies.

To get that delicious crunchy exterior, carefully remove your hot cast iron skillet from the oven and add some butter. Swirl it around to coat the pan as it melts, then pour in your cornbread batter. Bake until golden brown and fluffy.

Bringing a bit of spice to your life is delicious and magical. Make this Cheddar Habanero Cornbread and make it awesome.

Looking for more awesome quick bread recipes? Try this Whole Wheat Guinness Soda Bread or some tasty Cheddar Quick Bread.

Cheddar Habanero Corn Bread

Print Recipe

Cheddar Habanero Cornbread is a delicoiusly spicy accompaniment to your favorite bowl of chili. It's also perfect for breakfast with butter and honey. 

• Author: Renee Rendall
• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 25
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1-½ cups cornmeal
• 1-¼ cups milk
• 1 cup all-purpose or plain flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 6 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 habanero pepper, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 450F (225 C) and place a 10-inch cast iron skillet in the oven as it heats.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together cornmeal and milk, and allow it to soak for 15 minutes.
3. In a large mixing bowl, gently whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. In a large measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together vegetable oil and eggs. Add the oil and egg mixture to the soaked cornmeal and milk and whisk to combine.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold together with a rubber spatula. Add the cheese and chopped habanero and fold this in to incorporate throughout the batter.
6. Put on an oven mit and carefully remove your skillet from the hot oven. Add butter and swirl it around as it melts to coat the pan. Pour your cornbread batter into the hot skillet and return it to the oven. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown on top.
7. Carefully remove the pan from the hot oven. Cut into triangles to serve.

Equipment

mixing bowl

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measuring cups/spoons

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cast iron skillet

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Notes

Please wear gloves while handling your habaneros and wash your hands throughly afterward.

Keywords: Cheese, Habanero, Corn Bread

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