Cheddar Cornbread

Well, it may be hot outside today but it's September and my palate turns to an autumn menu.  I'm thinking of stews, soups, casseroles and braising meat with root vegetables.  Today I'm making chili for the freezer and the best thing to have with chili is warm, homemade cheddar cornbread.  I'm going to freeze chunks of cornbread too and will be looking forward to some easy dinners in my future.

Ingredients

1 c all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
3 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 c buttermilk
3 eggs
1 cup grated cheddar



Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients together.  Make a well in the centre and pour in the buttermilk and eggs.  When the batter is smooth, add your cup of grated cheese.  If you're making chili too, it's a good idea to grate a little extra cheese for the chili.

Take a cast iron frypan and put a pat of butter in it and place it in the oven to heat.  When your batter is ready, take the pan out of the oven and with a pastry brush, brush the butter over the bottom and sides of the pan.  Pour your batter in - it will start to bubble a little - bake for about 20 minutes.  It will be golden and tender.  Let it cool a few minutes and then take it out of the pan to finish cooling.  Slice into wedges to serve with your bowl of chili.  Enjoy!