Bacon Cheddar Cornbread

When I was a kid I hated cornbread.  I always thought it tasted bitter and gritty.  Until one day I was playing with a friend who lived down the street, his mom had made these cornbread muffins for us to eat for a snack.  I didn't even want to try one, but my friend assured me these were sweet and tasted like cake.  So I tried it and loved it.  His mom had used a box of Jiffy Cornbread Mix.  This was not the kind of cornbread we ate at my house.  My mom always made hers from scratch.  Now that I am an adult my taste buds have changed.  Cornbread made from the Jiffy Mix tastes way too sweet and I prefer the cornbread like my mom makes.  This recipe tastes very similar to my moms, only she would never put cheese in hers and she would use cracklins instead of bacon.

Bacon Cheddar Cornbread

4 slices of bacon, diced
1 & 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 & 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 egg
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
2 tbs onion, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Then in a 9 to 10 inch cast iron skillet cook the bacon till it is crisp.  Remove from the heat. Meanwhile mix together the cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda in a bowl.  Then stir in the buttermilk and egg. 

Next pour the bacon grease and bacon into the mixing bowl.  Then add the cheese and onion and mix until just combined.

Then pour the batter into the warm skillet and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes.  Then the turn the cornbread out onto a plate and cut into wedges.

Cornbread is great served with a pot of greens, stewed okra and tomatoes, a bowl of soup, or anything that has a lot of juice to sop up.