Green Chile and Cheese Cornbread

Cornbread. Tasty, tasty cornbread.

And in a cast iron skillet, no less! Thank you, Dad, for finishing the seasoning process. I should also say, "And for scraping the rust out of the bottom." My cast iron is found cast iron, not new cast iron. Found at my parents' lake property after the former tenant vacated. Found when the kitchen was torn down and rebuilt. Found and now in my possession. Yay!

Green Chile and Cheese Cornbread
(adapted from Weight Watchers "Hit the Spot")
Serves 8
POINTS: 4

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tsp baking powder
1 /2 tsp baking soda
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup fat-free egg substitute
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
14.5 oz can cream-style corn
2 4.5 oz cans chopped green chiles, drained
1/2 cup shredded, reduced-fat cheese (I used extra sharp cheddar)

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 10-inch cast iron skillet or ovenproof skillet with nonstick spray.

Whisk together cornmeal, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Set aside. Whisk together buttermilk, egg substitute, and olive oil. Add the corn, green chiles, and cheese. Stir to combine. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir to combine well. Pour the batter into the skillet.

Bake the cornbread mixture until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Baking time will be approximately 45 minutes for a super-moist cornbread. Bake slightly longer for a drier cornbread.

Let cornbread cool slightly. Cut into eight wedges and serve while still warm.

My only complaint about this cornbread is that it's a little bit bland. I would suggest adding a bit of salt to the cornbread mixture to give it a bit more flavor. Be prepared, this is a very dense, moist cornbread. It's delicious but heavy, almost like a corn pudding. You could easily serve this with a salad and have a complete meal.