vs.
Okay so I had a decidedly non-traditional Easter buffet yesterday. My parents and my husband and I are known for our non-traditional holiday meals. We had a Vegetarian Mexican inspired buffet yesterday with all kinds of interesting dishes. It was fun, it was unexpected and it was definitely enjoyed! One of the dishes that we had was a recipe from Bon Appetit for corn bread. I really enjoyed this recipe, it wasn’t overly sweet or dry like some corn breads I have eaten. I think next time I would make it a little more tex-mex, that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it as is. Next time I might add some hot peppers, maybe cilantro instead of basil for starters. It really inspired me to rethink my corn breads.
Here’s the recipe for those of you who are interested in trying it out.
Corn Bread with Basil, Roasted Peppers and Monterey Jack Cheese
8 tablespoons (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup chopped onion
1 3/4 cups yellow cornmeal
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups (lightly packed) grated Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeños (about 6 ounces)
1 1/3 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed, drained
1/2 cup drained chopped roasted red peppers from jar
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter 9×9x2-inch baking pan. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in medium nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Cool.
Mix cornmeal and next 5 ingredients in large bowl. Add 7 tablespoons butter and rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk buttermilk and eggs in medium bowl to blend. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir until blended. Mix in cheese, corn, red peppers, basil and onion. Transfer to prepared pan.
Bake corn bread until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool 20 minutes in pan on rack. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cool completely. Cover loosely with foil and let stand at room temperature. If desired, rewarm in 350°F oven about 10 minutes.)
Cut corn bread into squares.