This uniquely marbled cornbread gets its appearance from spicy jalapeños and fresh cilantro that are puréed and mixed into a portion of the batter. Then everything gets swirled together to create a gorgeous pan of moist, melt-in-your-mouth goodness. Serve with your favorite bowl of soup or hearty chili.
Living in Wisconsin for most of my life, one thing you learn early on is that the only NFL team you can root for is the Green Bay Packers. I mean, we’ll coexist peacefully with other fans (yes, even if you root for the Bears). But there’s something infectious about the Packers and Lambeau Field that creates a passionate love for football from a very young age.
Perhaps it stems from eating lots of chili at Packer parties growing up, but the only food I want to eat throughout football season is a big bowl of chili with all the fixings—including cornbread.
Now, I know cornbread can get a bad rap for being dry and flavorless, so I set out to make a flavorful cornbread that is great dunked in a bowl of spicy chili or eaten on its own. I also wanted this cornbread to be a festive side dish when we host Packer games. So naturally, I had to figure out a way to make it green and gold!
Spicy jalapeños and fresh cilantro are puréed and mixed into a portion of the batter and then swirled with the rest of the batter for a gorgeous marbled pan of moist, melt-in-your-mouth goodness.
Something else that makes this cornbread unique is that it’s made with cornmeal and Masa Harina. If you’re unfamiliar, it’s a finely ground corn flour that is traditionally used to make corn tortillas and tamales. I find that it also makes wonderfully light and fluffy cornbread too.
You can find Masa Harina at most Hispanic markets but Bob’s Red Mill also makes some that you can typically find in the baking aisle at your local grocery store too!
Oh, and before I forget, this cornbread also has cheese! Lots of freshly grated cheddar cheese—because this wouldn’t be a cornbread fit for droves of Packer fans if it didn’t have at least a little cheese mixed in there.
You don’t have to be a fan of the “Green and Gold” to love this cornbread. You don’t have to even like football. All you need is love in your heart for carbs, cheese, cilantro and jalapeños! That’s a team we can all root for right?!
Try this cornbread recipe out alongside a bowl of Drunken Short Rib Chili. Oh, and if green bread freaks you out, no worries, I’m working on a few less green variations of this marbled delight. Stay tuned!
If you try out this delicious cornbread, please leave me a comment below and give this recipe a rating! I love hearing from you all and do my best to respond to each and every one of you. Also, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram (@frydaeblog or #frydaeblog) if you try this recipe out. I love to see what my fellow foodies are whipping up in their kitchens!
Marbled Jalapeño & Cheddar Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 cup masa harina
- 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups half and half, fat-free
- 3 Tbsp sour cream
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup cilantro, leaves and stems are fine
- 2 jalapeños, seeded
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Method
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.In a blender or food processor puree cilantro and jalapenos until smooth. Set aside.In a separate large bowl, place masa harina, cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together and stir to combine.In a separate large bowl, place masa harina, cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together and stir to combine.Next, in a small bowl, whisk half and half, sour cream, eggs and melted butter together.Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir to combine. Take care to not over-mix.Then, remove 1 cup of the batter and place into a separate bowl. Add the pureed jalapeno/cilantro mixture and stir to combine. The batter should be nice and green.Next, fold the cheddar cheese into the remaining plain batter.Spray or grease a 9×13 pan or 10-inch cast-iron skillet and spoon the plain batter into the pan and smooth the top. Now, take spoonfuls of the green batter and put on top of the plain batter. Make sure some yellow is still peaking through. Then, make it pretty! Using a knife, swirl the two batters together until well-marbled.Bake for 20 to 25 minutes—or until the edges are browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.Cool on a rack slightly before serving. Serve warm.
Notes
If you want to take a shortcut, you can also use a cornbread mix—I recommend Trader Joe’s Cornbread Mix. Just follow the package instructions and reserve 1 cup of the batter and add the jalapeños and cilantro puree. Then marble as directed above and bake per the baking mix’s instructions.
2 comments
How many eggs!?!
Hi there, two eggs! Sorry for the omission. I’ve updated the recipe card accordingly. Thanks!