Double Corn Bread with Smoked Mozzarella and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 25 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 8 Servings

There’s quite a debate going at our earlier post about sweet versus savory cornbread. It seems like many of you feel strongly about the matter! Well, for those of you who love the savory stuff, here’s a recipe to wash the taste of sweet cornbread out of your mouth forever – you’ll never make any other kind, after you’ve tried this.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flavorless vegetable oil
1 cup fresh corn kernels (from 2 ears)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons coarsely shredded smoked mozzarella or Gouda cheese
1/4 cup minced smoked ham (optional)
2 tablespoons finely chopped olive oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
10-inch cast-iron skillet
2 large bowls
Standard whisk
Rubber spatula

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over low heat on the stove top and leave it to heat while preparing the batter for the corn bread.
In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and black pepper, and stir with a standard whisk to mix. In a second large bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and ¼ cup of the oil until blended. Stir into this second bowl the corn, 1/2 cup of the cheese, the ham, the tomatoes, and the parsley.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the buttermilk mixture and fold together with a rubber spatula just until blended.
Drizzle the heated skillet with the remaining 2 table-spoons of oil, tilting the pan to coat evenly. Immediately add the batter (the oil will sizzle and bubble up around the edges to coat the sides of the skillet), and spread it to the edges of the skillet, using a rubber spatula. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons cheese.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until the top is golden and the edges have pulled away from the sides of the skillet. Serve hot or at room temperature, cut into wedges.