Bacon and Cheese Cornbread Muffins

These quick and easy-to-make muffins are great for breakfast on the go, paired with a smoothie for a light lunch, or as an addition to a casual brunch buffet 🙂

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Ingredients: makes about 6 muffins

• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese
• 1/2 cup cooked bacon (turkey or real, as my family calls non-turkey bacon), crumbled
• Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) for pan

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Oil muffin tin – both cups and top area around cups – very liberally with EVOO. Don’t be stingy here; this is what ensures easy muffin removal and brown, slightly crispy outsides.
• In a medium bowl, combine first five ingredients.
• Add chunks of butter, and press/mix with a fork or pastry blender until combined.
• Stir in milk until the mixture thickens a bit.
• Mix in cheese and bacon. Add a splash more milk, if necessary.
• Pour batter into muffin tin, being careful not to overfill.

• Bake until muffins are golden, approximately 20-25 minutes.
• Let pan cool for a few minutes, then remove* muffins.

* The easiest way to remove muffins is to turn them, as shown above. Oiling the pan really well allows the muffins to twist and pop right out.

• Allow muffins to cool completely on a rack. (They can turn soggy if cooled in the pan or heaped together in a bowl.)