Recipe: Cheesy Cornbread (slightly adapted from a recipe provided by Jo Mathis in the Ann Arbor News)

Feel free to substitute sharp Cheddar or Pepper Jack for the Colby Jack, or to use a combination of cheeses. I've offered my son Jeremy's favorite version of the cornbread, but one of its many charms is its adaptability.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup creamed corn
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• 4 ounces Colby Jack cheese, shredded

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8-inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar; mix in eggs, one at a time. Stir in creamed corn. Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and pepper; stir into batter. Stir in cheese.

Pour batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes, until cornbread is golden at the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool, then cut into squares.

Makes 8 servings.

This recipe was adapted by Mary Bilyeu and originally posted on AnnArbor.com on Nov. 17, 2011.