Hatch Chile Cornbread

Hatch Chile Cornbread

All of my chiles are roasted, in vacuum sealed bags, labeled "HOT" or "MILD" accordingly, and in the freezer to use all year long.  Approximately a bushel of delicious, flavorful yumminess!  The only way to properly roast chiles is with a cold beer in hand, it's a hot job, but somebody has to do it.  I use them for lots and lots of dishes.  "The whole world" scrambled eggs, breakfast tacos, panini sandwiches, baked dishes, soups, Hatch Apple Cobbler(note to self: add to blog), cornbread and my personal favorite, Hatch Scalloped potatoes (need to add that one too). 

Many of you know I struggle with baking bread, actually breads of all kinds, and most embarrassingly cornbread.  Can you believe it?  I'm from Texas, this is just wrong.  Well finally my search is over, I have found a recipe that we all love.  So here you are, drumroll, please......

These are moist and do not crumble.  They go well with a Mexican breakfast, a steaming hot bowl of chili or just about anything where you would like an extra kick of spice.  Experiment with different cornmeals for variety.

Hatch Chile Cornbread Muffins (adapted from Red or Green New Mexico Cuisine)

3/4 C milk

1 8-oz can cream-style corn

1/3 melted butter

2 fresh eggs, beaten (thank you Peeps!)

1 1/2 C white, yellow or blue cornmeal

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 1/2 C mixed shredded cheddar cheese and Monterrey Jack cheese

3 to 5 fresh green chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, deveined and chopped OR 4-oz. can green chiles, drained and chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners or grease and flour each cup.

In a medium-size bowl, stir together milk, corn, butter and eggs.

In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.  Add mixture from medium-size bowl to dry ingredients and mix just until combined.  Do not overmix.

Spoon a large spoonful of batter into each cup, filling about 1/3 of each cup, and top with a little cheese mixture and green chile, dividing evenly and reserving a little for sprinkling on top.  Top with batter and reserved cheese and green chile.  Each cup should be about two-thirds full.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until muffins are golden and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Makes 12 muffins.

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