Ham and Cheese Cornbread

A savory cast iron cornbread loaded with ham, sweet corn, green onions, and cheddar cheese with a crisp golden crust.

Course Bread, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword cornbread-recipes, iron-skillet-ham-cheddar-cornbread

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Resting time 5

Total Time 55

Servings pieces

Calories 414kcal

Author Melissa Sperka

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place 2 tablespoons of solid vegetable shortening into a 10 inch cast iron skillet and set it into the oven to preheat and melt the shortening.
In a large mixing bowl use a whisk to sift together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, garlic and onion powders.
In a separate medium mixing bowl whisk together buttermilk, vegetable oil and eggs until combined.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stir together until all of the dry ingredients are fully moistened.
Next, add ham, 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese, canned corn and green onions to the cornbread batter. Mix to evenly distribute.
Remove the skillet from the oven and swirl the melted shortening around the pan coating the bottom and sides completely. Discard any excess.
Pour the batter into the hot skillet and spread evenly. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese on top.
Place into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Rest for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Vegetable Shortening - You can use bacon drippings or butter in place of shortening.
Ham - You could use crispy bacon in place of cubed ham.
Cornmeal - You can use plain yellow cornmeal in place of white cornmeal for this recipe.
Cheese - Use swiss cheese, asiago cheese, colby jack cheese, spicy pepper jack or mozzarella cheese. Cheddar cheese is always in my fridge and works extremely well with the ham.
Peppers - You could add jalapeños or green chiles for extra spice.
Buttermilk - Make your own buttermilk adding 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to each 1 cup of whole milk. Let stand for 5-10 minutes, then stir and proceed with the recipe.
Alternate Pan - The process of preheating the cast iron skillet gives the cornbread an incredibly crunchy and delicious crust. If you don't have a cast iron skillet, you can use a square 8x8-inch baking dish or a deep dish 9-inch or 10-inch pie plate.