Mexican Cornbread & Spicy Pinto Beans

The weather is turning cooler here in Texas where we are, and it has been raining a lot. My husband and I have been in the mood for beans and cornbread. Sometimes I cook my beans with meat and sometimes I just cook what I call Spicy Beans without meat. I usually cook them in my crock pot over night, which is a great way not to have to wait on the beans to cook during the day. It seems like I get impatient and want to rush the beans on the stove and then I burn them. This way I can just wake up and they are ready. It just seams natural to combine cornbread with beans. This time I made my Mexican Cornbread and served the beans with my Hot Sweet Pepper Relish that I canned this summer.

Mexican Cornbread

1 cup corn meal
1 cup flour
1 Tablespoons baking powder
½ tsp. soda
½ tsp. salt
¼ cup flour
3 Tablespoons sugar
½ cup buttermilk
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 15.5 oz. can cream corn
1 medium onion, chopped
2 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded, chopped finely
½ lb. cheddar cheese, grated
4 Tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

Pour 2 tablespoons of oil in a iron skillet or a oven proof skillet and heat in the oven at 400 degrees F. While oil is heating, in a large mixing bow, stir together with a whisk the dry ingredients, corn meal, flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and sugar; and set aside. In a four quart measuring cup, stir together buttermilk, eggs, cream corn, and 2 tablespoons oil. Pour buttermilk mixture over dry ingredients and mix until moist, not stirring to much. Add Cheese, onion, and jalapeno pepper, and fold in until evenly mixed. Remove skillet with the heated oil from the oven and pour cornbread mixture immediately into the hot skillet. Return the skillet back to the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes or until cornbread is firm to the touch and golden brown. Serve from the skillet or turnout onto a serving plate.