Mexican Cornbread

You must use self-rising flour and self-rising cornmeal or it will not turn out properly. This is why there is no additional baking soda or baking powder added because it is already in the self-rising ingredients. If you don’t use self-rising ingredients, your cornbread won’t rise.

Try dicing up a fresh jalapeño for an extra kick!

It definitely should not be at all with this recipe. This is very moist! However, having said that, It could be a few reasons:
1. You over mixed the batter. Stirring the batter too much can make the gluten in the flour to form elastic gluten bands (it’s all very scientific, but basically, it makes for dry, dense baked goods).

2. You might’ve baked it too long. Ovens vary and some ovens have hot spots or sometimes oven temperatures are inaccurate. So although a recipe says to cook it for a certain temperature, know your oven. If necessary check it earlier and stick a toothpick in the center to determine if it is done. Also, it might be worth it to invest in an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is heating to the correct temperature.

3. You used a low fat or skim milk. Try using a higher fat milk. Or perhaps try buttermilk. Even though most buttermilk is lower in fat, it has higher acidity that helps to break down long strands of glutens and proteins in baked goods, resulting in a more tender bread or baked good.

Yes, self-rising yellow cornmeal will work in this recipe.

You can really serve this with so many meals. Try serving this with Chicken Tortilla Soup, Chicken Enchilada Soup or Taco Soup . One of my personal favorite meals to serve this with is Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas. Perhaps you want to have this for a brunch? Huevos Rancheros is perfect with Mexican Cornbread! Or for something a bit more simple, a serving of homemade refried beans is so good!

I have not tested this recipe with cooked ground beef but I think it should worked. I would maybe just use about a pound. Cook and crumble it (maybe season with a bit of salt and pepper or your favorite Mexican seasonings) until fully cooked then add it to the batter.

Certainly. I’ve made this in a circular baking pan before and it took about an hour to bake. As you’ll see in these images, I used an 8×8-inch baking dish which took about 45 minutes. If you want to use a 9×9-inch baking dish, you can and it will take a little less time to bake, since the cornbread will be thinner. So start checking it earlier.

If you want a thinner cornbread than what I made, you’ll definitely want to use a bigger baking dish, like the 9×9 and adjust your baking time accordingly.

Leftovers should be properly covered and can be stored on the counter for up to 2 days. Refrigerating bread can cause it to become dry. It can also be frozen, if wrapped properly to protect against freezer burn, for up to 3 months.