Hatch Green Chile Cornbread

Start by giving the Hatch chiles a good rinse. Then roast them in the oven (400F) for 30 minutes or so. Feel free to roast them with your preferred method.

When the Hatch chiles are done roasting you can remove them from the oven and let cool for a couple minutes. Then de-stem and de-seed them. You can also peel off and discard any puffy bits of skin. Finely chop the Hatch chile pieces -- you'll end up with 1/2 cup worth.

Preheat a 10" cast iron skillet or similar sized baking dish in the oven at 425F.

Add the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl and combine well: 1.25 cups Masa Harina, 1 cup flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 3 tablespoons sugar.

Melt 3 tablespoons of butter: I used a separate, small skillet on the stovetop over medium-low heat. You'll use 2 tablespoons of this for the wet ingredients, with the final tablespoon reserved for the baking dish.

In a separate bowl combine the wet ingredients: 2 whisked eggs, 1.5 cups milk (I used whole milk), and 2 tablespoons of the melted butter.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine well using a spatula or spoon. Add the diced Hatch chile pieces. Combine well. If it seems thick feel free to add another splash of milk. Ideally it has a consistency that allows it to settle into an even layer on its own.

Add the final tablespoon of melted butter to the pre-heated baking dish and swish it around to coat. Be sure to use a hotpad when pulling the pre-heated baking dish from the oven as sometimes the empty dish will trick your brain into thinking it's at room temp!!

Add the batter to the baking dish, forming an even layer. Bake for around 20-25 minutes (425F), but I usually start taking peeks at 20 minutes. When the sides are turning darker brown you are mostly there. You can also test it by sticking a knife or fork in the center -- if it pulls out clean then the insides are done.

Let the cornbread rest in the baking dish on the stovetop for a couple minutes. Then serve it up with an optional slice of butter.

Store leftovers in a Ziploc in the fridge where it will keep for a few days. Here's my awesome re-heating method: add a slice of butter to a skillet over medium heat. Dredge all sides of a cornbread slice in the melted butter and then cook each side until it is just starting to brown -- it will take a few minutes and this is usually enough to heat it through, plus you get some crispy edges :)