Nothing goes with ham and beans better than buttermilk cheesy cornbread.  I grew up eating lots of cornbread.  My Momma made it to go with southern fried catfish, hush puppies, white beans and anytime we had smoked ham. In my family you do not add sugar to the recipe unless you plan to serve it as a dessert.

Today I added sharp cheddar and green onions.  Other times I’ve added jalapeno pepper and cheddar jack cheese.  Then there’s always the classic version without any additions.  In my house we always use buttermilk.  If you find you only have regular milk there’s a way to make it more like real buttermilk. My Momma likes buttermilk so much that she used to take a piece of warm cornbread and dunk it into a cold glass of buttermilk for a special treat.

Buttermilk Cheesy Cornbread

Ingredients

• 1  cup yellow cornmeal
• 1  cup all purpose flour
• 2  teaspoons baking powder
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1  cup buttermilk
• 1  whole egg, beaten
• 1/4  cup vegetable oil
• 1  cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2  cup green onions, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place 1 tablespoon of the oil in cast iron skillet and place in oven as it preheats.
3. In medium bowl, stir together cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt.
4. Add buttermilk, egg, vegetable oil, cheese and green onions, stir gently to combine.
5. Carefully remove iron skillet from oven and pour batter into pan smoothing the top.
6. Return skillet to oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.
7. Check for doneness by inserting a knife or wooden skewer into the center, it should come out clean.  Cornbread should be golden brown on top and bottom.
8. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before slicing.