Buttermilk Cornbread with Black-Eyed Peas

At my house, the other half "cushions" a bowl of my famous black-eyed peas with cornbread. This is the next best thing, I guess. The black-eyed peas are IN the cornbread. (Of course you can gild the lily and serve it with some more black-eyed peas dumped on top.) It would be great as a side with fried chicken or chicken-fried steak.

Buttermilk Cornbread with Black-Eyed Peas
From EveryDay with Rachael Ray.
Makes 12 servings.


2 1/4 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
5 tablespoons butter, melted
One 15.5-ounce can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained (I used two cups of leftover homemade black-eyed peas that I rinsed...still had yummy bits of bacon and onion in them.)
One 4-ounce can chopped green chiles, drained

Preheat the oven to 400°.


Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate large bowl, stir together the buttermilk, cheese, eggs and butter. Stir in the black-eyed peas and the chiles, if using.


Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients; using a fork, stir gently until just combined. Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake until golden-brown, about 25 minutes. Let stand for 20 minutes, then cut into 12 squares.