Sweet and Crispy Jalapeno Cornbread Skillet

This cornbread is so deliciously sweet and crispy! Studded with yummy bits of cheese and jalapeno throughout then topped with more golden cheese and slices of jalapeno, it's loaded with flavor.

Want to know the secrets for making this cornbread so crispy? My mother-in-law did too so she went to the best source of course, her mother.

She asked Nana for her recipe and made it a few times but it never seemed to turn out quite right. She finally asked to watch how she made hers and discovered the unwritten instructions that makes this cornbread so addictive.

The first unwritten detail, always use a preheated cast iron skillet. Get that skillet screaming hot before you add the batter to get a lovely brown crust on the bottom and sides of the bread.

Think about how we all feel about those chewy crispy edges on brownies. Yes, you know what I mean. They even made a special pan for making those individual little brownies so that all the sides are crispy.

You can also buy cast iron pans for making cornbread in individual servings that are fantastic for this too but if you don't have one or don't want to devote the storage to keeping one, a large skillet is just the thing.

For this cornbread I've used a 10 inch skillet to make the bread thinner and wider creating more surface area. More surface area equals more crispy edges!

The next unwritten instruction was, butter the hot pan just before adding the batter to get a nice sizzle and browned buttery flavor on the crust.

The actual ingredients are also very important to get the right sweetness and texture.

I use a mixture of sugar and honey for a few reasons. When using sugar to bake with, the batter browns better helping to crisp things up. The honey adds better moisture and a stickiness that helps the cornbread stay together when you serve and eat it. It also helps to give those crispy edges a little chewiness and the very flavor of the honey is just such a wonderful match.

The next important ingredient is the cornmeal. Cornmeal comes in many different grinds and the common box of cornmeal is usually quite finely ground. Don't use that unless you want your cornbread to turn out with an almost cake like texture. Using a coarsely ground cornmeal will really boost the texture. I like to use a polenta grind that gives this cornbread an almost crunchy bite that's insanely good!