Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Cheddar Green Chile "Cornbread" - Low Carb & Grain Free

This evening I tested my new recipe for Cheddar Green Chile "Cornbread"...the quotations are there because there isn't any "corn" in my cornbread. This is a low carb, grain free version that will knock your socks off! I tend to prefer my cornbread with a hint of sweetness (kind of like the sweetness of fresh corn). At Thanksgiving time, I always make a corn casserole that includes cornbread and creamed corn along with cheddar cheese and a few other ingredients. I don't eat that any more but my family still does. My hubby is Georgia born and raised and knows his cornbread. Even though there are different styles and preferences (some like it sweet and moist, others don't want any sweetness and they like it drier), I tried to create one sort of middle of the road that could go either way...moist or a little drier as well as more or less sweet.

My cornbread turned out AMAZING and is "Georgia-hubby" approved. This cornbread is crusty on the edges and tender and moist in the center. He prefers his cornbread a wee bit drier and I prefer mine more moist (this version suited us both). If you like yours more dry and crumbly, simply halve the amount of shredded squash added. He said the flavor was spot on and was surprised at how much it tasted just like real cornbread. Besides sharp cheddar cheese, I used canned diced fire roasted green chiles (by Ortega) that come in either mild or hot (I used hot but only added 1 tablespoon). They can be found in the Mexican food section of most grocery stores. You can omit them completely or use the mild version to get the flavor without the heat, or add more for a zippier bread. I can't wait to make chili to enjoy this cornbread with. I like to crumble my cornbread on top of my chili. I snapped a few photos below and included the easy peasy recipe. Enjoy!





Cheddar Green Chile "Cornbread" - Low Carb

Ingredients:

1-3/4 cup blanched almond flour
1/4 cup ground golden flax seeds
1/4 cup granular Swerve Sweetener (or preferred sweetener)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup buttermilk (*see notes below)
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup shredded yellow summer squash (reduce to 1/4 cup for drier cornbread)
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1 tablespoon canned diced fire roasted green chiles, hot or mild (I used hot)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Generously grease an 8-inch cast iron skillet (or ovenproof skillet) with coconut oil or butter and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, ground flax, sweetener, baking soda, and salt. In a separate small bowl, beat buttermilk and eggs together. Add wet mixture to dry mixture and stir just until combined. Mix in melted butter, yellow squash, 2/3 cup cheddar cheese and green chiles.

Heat greased skillet on stove top over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles when flicked into the pan. Turn off stove and pour batter into skillet and smooth top. Top with remaining 1/3 cup of cheddar cheese. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until done, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

*Notes: If using a different sized skillet or pan, baking times may need to be adjusted. Using a cast iron pan will yield a more authentic textured cornbread that develops crusty edges. If you prefer a drier cornbread, reduce shredded squash to 1/4 cup. For a spicier cornbread, increase diced green chiles or omit them for plain cheddar cornbread. For a buttermilk substitute, add 1-1/2 teaspoons white vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup and fill with your choice of dairy milk to the 1/2 cup mark (or for dairy free buttermilk, use unsweetened cashew milk, almond milk or coconut milk). Allow milk to sit for 5 to 10 minutes before using.

            

14 comments:

CyberSis said...

Hi GGC,

Wow, does your "corn-ish" bread ever look scrumptious! This will be great with my hubby's famous Spanish Not-rice (sort of like chili.) Not only is your "cornbread" Hubby Approved, it's *Georgia* Hubby Approved! Now *that's* an endorsement! :-)

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi CyberSis,

Thanks! I must confess that I pulled out the leftover Chicken Soft Taco fixings to have leftovers for dinner tonight but ended up having just "cornbread" for dinner with a cup of coffee! LOL Crazy dinner, right? :-)

NancyWinLA said...

I love your recipes and this looks really wonderful. I hate to ask for substitutions but I try not to use flax seed, do you think
that coconut flour or ground chia seeds would work?

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Nancy,

It might work but I would use less of either of those. Maybe 2 tablespoons. :-)

NancyWinLA said...

Thank you. I'm out of town right now, as soon as I get home I'm going to try this, probably with coconut flour. I will report my results!

Irene said...

Made this tonight to serve with chili. One word...DELICIOUS!

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

So happy you enjoyed it Irene! I'm looking forward to making chili to go with it soon! :-)

Sylvia said...

I made it last night and it was awesome!! Next batch will have a little less sweetener. I'm happy, happy, happy!!

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Sylvia,

So happy you enjoyed it! Now you can tweak it until it's perfect for you! I'm looking forward to having it with chili this fall and winter. :-)

CyberSis said...

Hi GGC,

We had this tonight and it's *wonderful*!!! This one gets the Hubby Seal of Approval at my house, too!

When I saw how watery my squash got when I grated it I decided to drain it a bit on a couple of paper towels and use the smaller amount (I didn't squeeze it, though). The moisture level was perfect. I love the little pieces of yellow squash that are visible in the finished product ... makes it look amazingly like cornbread!

P.S. I hope you get your internet troubles straightened out soon. I certainly know what a pain that can be!

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi CyberSis,

I just saw your comment this evening. I'm not sure what is going on here between my computer and internet! So glad you both enjoyed this. Good thinking reducing the squash when you saw it was watery. Isn't it funny how some seem to retain more water than others? I can't wait to make chili again so I can make this "cornbread" to go with it. The Hubby Seal of Approval makes my day! :-)

Sabine said...

Hi Gourmet Girl,
Omg, so good! We had it tonight along side a cream of broccoli soup and sausages. Delicious! When I showed hubby your post to tell him that this was going to happen tonight, he went like "this looks likes we will eat it all tonight". He underestimated how filling it is, hahahah... There will be lunch tomorrow :)

Sabine

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Sabine,

So happy both you and your hubby enjoyed it! Too funny he thought you could finish it up in one night. It is quite filling, isn't it! Thanks for letting me know you liked it so much! :-)

Oma Wilcox said...

Made this while camping in the Dutch oven. Very good! Next time I’m going to try with jalapeƱos��. Plus I think I’m gonna put Cheese only on top on one part because my husband can’t have cheese. Thank you!