Hatch Chile Cornbread
We’re right in the middle of hatch chile season. I love this time of year when markets all over pull out their giant roasters and roast pounds and pounds of hatch chiles for days on end. It’s so much fun to watch and smell the peppers as they go round and round getting charred and smoky. But the best part is knowing that once those seven or eight minutes of roasting are done, I get to take those chiles home to make some amazing recipes.
There’s only one problem with hatch chile season: it’s so damn short! Sure, I can always grab some expensive frozen hatch peppers or even a jar or two of hatch chile powder year round. But the fresh peppers that I like to roast myself or enjoy in soups, salads and salsas are only around for about six weeks. That’s right, just six weeks before they disappear for another year. Cue the tears.
But wait. Before the sobbing really starts, I have some good news. There are a few weeks left to grab some fresh chiles of your own. You can even get to a roasting or two before the season’s over. Just head over to Melissa’s Produce to order some fresh chiles and see the list of locations and dates where you can witness a roasting in person. If you’re lucky enough to grab a few like I was, you can make salsas, rubs for your favorite proteins, and even desserts.
While I usually use my hatch peppers for salsas and chili, I have ventured outside the box on occasion. I made ice cubes which are great for a cocktail with a kick and I’ve made several different versions of sloppy joes. The recent release of Melissa’s newest Hatch Pepper Cookbook, gave me a slew of new possibilities. While I can’t wait to make their Devil’s Favorite Devil’s Food Cake or Hatch Pepper & Berry Agua Fresca, I can never pass up a great piece of buttery cornbread.
I love cornbread. I make it all the time whenever we have chili because nothing goes better with a steaming bowl of chili than a thick piece of warm cornbread. But cornbread doesn’t have to be served with just chili. My family and I enjoy it with any type of barbecue, along side fried chicken or even all by itself. I love it right out of the oven smothered in melted butter. While I usually make a sweeter cornbread, every now and then I like a savory version complete with peppers and cheese, and that’s exactly what Melissa’s serves up. This peppered cornbread is great all by itself, but would be really perfect on top of a bowl of chili. I loved it and can’t wait to make it again and again until I’m out of fresh hatch peppers… and since I have a box of roasted chiles in the freezer, I guess I’ll be making this cornbread for months to come.
Notes
Adapted from Melissa's Hatch Pepper Cookbook
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 hatch pepper, roasted, peeled, stemmed, seeded and diced
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and grease a 9x9 inch pan or cast iron skillet.
- Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Mix together the hatch pepper, milk, buttermilk, sour cream, butter and egg. Gradually add the cornmeal mixture until combined. Fold in the cheese.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan or skillet and bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until a toothpick, when inserted, comes out clean. Let cool for 5-10 minutes, cut and serve with butter or honey.
