Few things make for a better dinner during the warmest days of summer than a refreshing salad. But sometimes those leafy greens need a little extra umph and a carby side dish — like this chile cornbread — always does the trick.
Quick breads are the easiest way to take your dinner to the next level. As the name implies, quick breads are quick to make compared to yeast-risen breads. This one puts summer’s beautiful bounty to use by incorporating zucchini and tomatoes.
It’s important to prep the veggies correctly when preparing the dish, as both tomatoes and zucchini have high water content. To avoid soggy bread, you'll need to give the chopped tomatoes time to drain before adding them to the batter mixture. Grating the zucchini instead of dicing it will add a delightfully sweet and slightly bitter flavor to the cornbread without pumping it with excess moisture.
After preparing the batter and adding it to a pan, just bake the dish for 25 to 30 minutes until it’s golden brown.
The vegetables add a delicate sweetness to the cornbread while the chile powder gives it a welcome kick. It pairs well with just about anything, from the aforementions salads to slow cooker chili to ribs, grilled chicken or any other fabulous grilled dinner dish.
Zucchini Tomato Chile Cornbread
This recipe is by Robin Mather was originally published in The Chicago Tribune.
Ingredients:
