Li'l Slice of Heaven Cornbread

Li'l Slice of Heaven Cornbread

3 strips of bacon, finely chopped
1/4 sweet onion, finely minced
1 1/4 cups cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten
8 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup honey
1 cup shredded pepper-jack cheese

Pre-heat the oven to 425°F.

Fry the bacon in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat until crispy and browned.  Remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Drain off all but about 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings and add the minced onion.  Reduce the heat to medium/medium-low and cook the onions until caramelized.  They should be very soft, sweet and a golden brown color.  Set aside.

Cut the butter into slices and place in an 8-inch iron skillet (or an 8x8x2-inch baking pan) and place in the oven to melt while you mix the cornbread batter.  Don't put this in the oven too soon...you just want to melt the butter and get the skillet good and hot.

Combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.  Add the buttermilk, eggs and honey and stir until well mixed.  Fold in the crumbled bacon, the onions and half the shredded cheese.   Remove the skillet from the oven and carefully swirl the melted butter around the skillet sides and then pour it into the batter and stir until it's all mixed in.  Pour the batter into the still hot skillet and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.  Return the skillet to the oven and bake for about 25 minutes or until the cornbread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Allow to cool slightly before cutting and serving.

I adapted this recipe from the one found at thecozyapron.com and it is awesome!  This recipe is in my top 3 of all time for cornbread!  It's moist and tastes absolutely delicious with that caramelized onion flavor teasing your taste buds after each bite.  Excellent recipe!