Cornbread, Three Ways

As a side dishes for the canceled Chili Cook-Off, my mom and I both cooked up some cornbread. She went with a fairly traditional recipe from the Tassajara Bread Book, (page from book pictured below) while I went with crazy full-of-yummy-stuff versions.

The Three Layer Cornbread was one of the nicer "traditional" cornbreads I've tried, but the unanimous winner in the Cornbread Cook-Off was the Bacon and Scallion Cornbread with White Cheddar. I went a little crazy with the chiles in the Chorizo and Chile Cornbread (I've cut back the quantity in the recipe below), so they ended up overpowering the Chorizo-y goodness a bit (it was sort of like eating yummy fire), or else it may have been a stronger contender as well. All in all, I think all three of these recipes make pretty kick-ass cornbread so it all just depends what type of cornbread you're in the market for...
The Chorizo-Chile Cornbread originated at Epicurious (though it has been heavily tweaked), and the Bacon-Scallion Cornbread was just a variation on that recipe. (Update: The too-spicy Chorizo-Chile Cornbread actually became quite delicious and less incendiary when served with a little cream cheese to calm the burn...)

Three Layer Cornbread
   1 cup cornmeal (course-ground works best)
   1/2 cup whole wheat flour
   1/2 cup unbleached white flour
   2 teaspoons baking powder
   3/4 teaspoon salt
   1 egg
   6 tablespoons honey
   1/4 cup oil
   3 cups buttermilk

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Combine dry ingredients. Combine wet ingredients. Mix together (mixture will be quite runny). Pour into a well-greased 9"pan. Bake at 350°F for 50 minutes or until the top is springy when gently touched.


Chorizo and Chile Cornbread with White Cheddar
   8 ounces Chorizo sausage (casing removed)
   1 cup yellow cornmeal
   1 tablespoon baking powder
   1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
   2 eggs, lightly beaten
   1 cup sour cream
   1 14-ounce can creamed corn
   4 fresh jalapeño chiles, roasted, peeled, and minced
   2 cups grated extra-sharp white cheddar cheese

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Crumble the Chorizo into a skillet and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes to render some of the fat. Combine the sausage, 3 tablespoons of the rendered fat, and the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. (My Chorizo barely rendered any fat, so I added 3 tablespoons of bacon fat here.) Pour into a well-greased 9" x 9" baking pan and cook in a 350°F oven for 45-55 minutes or until golden brown and set in the middle.


Bacon and Scallion Cornbread with White Cheddar
   6 - 8 ounces bacon, chopped
   1 cup yellow cornmeal
   1 tablespoon baking powder
   1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
   2 eggs, lightly beaten
   1 cup sour cream
   1 14-ounce can creamed corn
   4 - 6 fresh jalapeño chiles, roasted, peeled, and minced
   5 scallions, thinly sliced
   2 cups grated extra-sharp white cheddar cheese

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Place the bacon in a skillet and cook over medium-high heat until crispy. Remove from the skillet and drain on paper towels. Combine the bacon, 3 tablespoons of the rendered fat, and the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Pour into a well-greased 9" x 9" baking pan and cook in a 350°F oven for 45-55 minutes or until golden brown and set in the middle.


UPDATE: My mom made another batch of the Three Layer Cornbread, and this one turned out more perfectly so she wanted to share. The picture is below. It's really pretty awesome...