Cheddar Spoonbread

If cornbread and a cheese souffle had a baby, spoonbread would be it. This Southern classic starts with a thick cornmeal porridge cooked on the stovetop, then gets enriched with beaten eggs and 1 ½ cups of cheddar cheese before baking into a puffy, golden casserole that you scoop out with a spoon.

The eggs are the secret to the texture. Beating them until thick and lemon-colored before tempering them into the hot cornmeal base traps air that puffs the spoonbread up during baking. It rises like a souffle but holds together better, with a creamy, custard-like center and slightly firmer edges.

Tempering is the critical step: stir a quarter of the hot cornmeal mixture into the beaten eggs first to gently raise their temperature, then fold that back into the pot. Dumping cold eggs straight into hot porridge scrambles them, and you end up with lumpy, uneven spoonbread instead of a smooth, uniform texture.

Chef Tips

• Stir the cornmeal constantly while cooking. Cornmeal lumps form fast in hot liquid. Keep the whisk moving until the mixture is thick and smooth.
• Use sharp cheddar for maximum flavor. Mild cheddar melts well but doesn’t contribute much taste. Sharp or extra-sharp gives you real cheese flavor in every spoonful.
• Serve immediately. Like a souffle, spoonbread deflates as it cools. Bring it to the table straight from the oven for the full puffed-up presentation.

Variations

• Jalapeño cheddar: Stir in 2 tablespoons of diced pickled jalapenos with the cheese for a spicy kick.
• Bacon spoonbread: Fold in ¼ cup of crumbled crispy bacon along with the cheese. The smoky-salty crunch is outstanding against the creamy cornmeal.