Jalapéo Cheddar Cornbread

Andre and Tiffany married on August 17, 2028, at a venue on the banks of the Savannah River, with the water flowing behind them and the live oaks overhead and a hundred and ten people eating food that I made with two hands and a prayer and the knowledge that this is the fifth Henderson wedding I have cooked for and it may not be the last.

The food was served family-style — long tables, platters in the center, the way Monique's wedding was served, the way I believe all weddings should be served because family-style forces you to pass things and passing forces connection and connection is the whole point. The shrimp and grits: perfect. The pot roast: Tiffany's grandmother would have approved. The collard greens: three hours. The cornbread: no sugar. The mac and cheese: three-cheese, crispy top. The carrot cake: Tiffany's request, beautifully made, grudgingly admired by me.

Denise walked Andre down the aisle. Robert would have, but Andre asked Denise. He asked his mother. He said, "Mama, you raised me. You walk me." Denise made it four steps before crying. Robert stood in the front row and cried too, silently, the way Robert does everything — without demanding attention but with full emotional participation. Tiffany came down the aisle in a dress that looked like the river — flowing, silver-white, moving. She was beautiful. Andre was steady. They are a match.

I stood behind the serving table. My station. My post. The grandmother at the wedding is not at the altar. The grandmother is behind the food. The grandmother is the one who ensures that after the vows are said and the kiss is done and the music plays, there is a table with food on it, and the food is hot and the plates are full and every person who came to celebrate this marriage leaves with a full stomach and the memory of a meal that was made with the same love that made the family that made the couple that made the wedding necessary in the first place.

I did not cry until the car. Denise drove. I sat in the passenger seat with my shoes off and my feet aching and I cried the grandmother cry — the cry that comes when you have cooked for five weddings and every wedding is a proof that the family continues and the continuing is the only thing that has ever mattered.

Now go on and feed somebody.

The cornbread I made for Andre and Tiffany’s wedding was the same cornbread I have made for every Henderson wedding — no sugar, because cornbread is not cake, and if you put sugar in cornbread I will find out and I will be disappointed. What I do put in is jalapéo and sharp cheddar, because heat and salt are what hold a table of a hundred and ten people together when the platters are being passed and the toasts are being made and somebody is already crying. This is that cornbread. Make it for people you love, make a big pan, and do not put sugar in it.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 12

Ingredients

2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (divided)
2 to 3 fresh jalapéos, seeded and finely diced
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whole buttermilk
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 tablespoons neutral oil (for the pan)

Instructions

Preheat and prepare the pan. Preheat your oven to 425°F. Place a 10-inch cast iron skillet in the oven while it preheats — a hot pan gives you the crisp, dark bottom that makes this cornbread worth making.
Combine dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and black pepper until evenly mixed.
Add cheese and jalapéos. Stir 1 cup of the shredded cheddar and all of the diced jalapéos into the dry mixture, tossing to coat and distribute evenly.
Mix wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, sour cream, and melted butter until smooth and fully combined.
Bring the batter together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until no dry streaks remain — do not overmix. The batter will be thick.
Season the hot pan. Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and add the oil, swirling to coat the bottom and sides. The oil should shimmer immediately.
Fill and top. Pour the batter into the prepared skillet and spread evenly. Scatter the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar across the top.
Bake. Return the skillet to the oven and bake for 22 to 26 minutes, until the top is golden, the cheese is bubbling, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Rest before cutting. Allow the cornbread to cool in the skillet for at least 8 minutes before slicing. Serve warm, directly from the pan, in wedges.

Nutrition (per serving)

Jalapéo Cheddar Cornbread — The Cornbread That Fed a Henderson Wedding