Bacon Cheddar Jalapeño Cornbread

1. Fry bacon in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate; reserve remaining bacon grease in the skillet. Crumble bacon.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place the skillet with bacon grease in the oven.

3. Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk milk, buttermilk, butter, and eggs in another bowl; stir milk mixture into flour mixture until just combined. Batter will be slightly lumpy. Fold in Cheddar cheese and jalapeño peppers. Allow batter to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.

4. Pour batter into the hot skillet; sprinkle with crumbled bacon, gently pressing bacon into batter.

5. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before slicing.

Cook's Note:

If you have a large cast iron skillet, use it for this! Otherwise, you can use a greased 9x13-inch baking pan. A hot skillet with bacon grease to pour the batter into will give the cornbread a good crispy outside and added bacon flavor.