Paula’s cheesy cornbread recipe

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped (½ cup)
• ½ teaspoon minced garlic
• ½ cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1 jalapeño chile, seeded and minced
• Kernels cut from 2 ears corn (1½ to 2 cups)
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1½ cups buttermilk
• 3 large eggs, well beaten
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded pepper Jack cheese
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded smoked mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded longhorn cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 375°.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a Lodge 10-inch cast iron skillet. Add the onion, garlic, bell pepper, and jalapeño, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the corn, and cook, stirring, for several minutes. Remove the pan from the heat; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, sift the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt together. In a medium bowl, mix the buttermilk with 2 tablespoons of the oil and the eggs. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients, and stir briefly to just combine. Add the corn mixture and cheeses, and stir again to combine.
4. Wipe out the skillet well, then set over low heat for a few minutes. Pour in the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Swirl the skillet so the oil completely coats all parts of the pan, bottom and side. Pour in the cornbread batter.
5. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and the top is golden brown, 40 to 60 minutes. Remove the cornbread from the oven, and let cool slightly in the skillet on a wire rack before cutting into wedges or squares and serving.