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Greek Yogurt And Chili Peppers: A Surprising Twist On Cornbread

Cornbread.

The Food Guys create a bold and delicious cornbread recipe, great to accompany a good chili dish.

Today, Jon and Greg swap cornbread recipes. Jon says he prefers to leave out the sugar in Greg's recipe, but the best thing is that there is so much you can do with cornbread ingredients; you can tweak and add yogurt, cheese, onions or anything else you might like. You can even tinker with different types of corn meal. Everyone has their own twist to a recipe. Here's a take on a Southern classic that you can try at home.

Spicy and Cheesy Yogurt Cornbread

**Ingredients:**

1 cup (4 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour (spoon flour into dry measure, fill to
overflowing, and sweep off excess with a straight edge)
2/3 cup (4 ounces) yellow or white cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (see NOTE)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 equal pieces
2 jalapeño or Serrano chiles, halved, seeded, and finely chopped
2 tablespoons minced shallot
4 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar or pepper jack cheese, shredded
1 cup plain unflavored Greek yogurt, any fat content
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (Tabasco), or to taste

**Steps:**

1. Adjust an oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 350
degrees. Butter a 9 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together thoroughly the flour, cornmeal, sugar,
baking powder, baking soda, salt and black pepper. Add the cold butter and cut it
into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two knives until particles are in
tiny pieces. If you prefer, just reach into the bowl with your hands like I do and
pinch the butter and flour together rapidly to make fine particles. Stir in the chiles,
shallot, and half the shredded cheese; reserve remaining cheese to sprinkle on
top of batter.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, eggs and hot pepper sauce to
combine well. Add to the dry ingredients and stir together with a flexible spatula
to make a thick batter. Spread level in the prepared pan and scatter the reserved
cheese over the top.

4. Bake about 30 minutes, until the top is slightly domed, flecked with golden
brown cheese, and a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out
clean. Cool a few minutes before cutting and serving. Cut the cornbread into
squares, split them horizontally, and spread with plenty of butter.

Makes 8 or 9 portions.

NOTE: Increase baking soda to 1 teaspoon at sea level.

Greg Patent is co-host of The Food Guys on Montana Public Radio. He won the Pillsbury bake-off when he was 19 years old. His cookbook, Baking in America, won the 2003 James Beard Award for best baking book of the year.
Jon Jackson is co-host of The Food Guys and a frequent guest on Jazz Sessions at Montana Public Radio. He is a mystery writer and jazz music expert with a passion for great food.
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