My late mom was born and raised in southeastern Alabama, and accordingly skillet cornbread was a staple at family gatherings.

When I make chili, it’s inevitable that I’ll make cornbread. And it’s worth every crumbly calorie.

Honey-Jalapeno Cornbread

• 1.5 cups stone ground cornmeal
• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1-1/2 T baking powder
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 1/4 t kosher salt
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1.5 cups skim milk
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 3 eggs
• Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425. Place a 10″ cast iron skillet in the oven to heat. Whisk milk and eggs together in a small bowl. In a large mixing bowl, mix dry ingredients, adding jalapeno. Add in egg/milk mixture, and gently combine, before adding oil and honey. Mix together and let rest for 10-15 minutes while the skillet heats – this will add a slightly lighter texture as the baking powder activates (it’s the same for pancakes!).

Normally, I’d drop some butter into the hot skillet and swirl it around before adding the mixture, but I AM trying to get my health straight, so I hit the skillet with a light coating of cooking spray.

Add the batter to the greased skillet, drizzle a little more honey on top, and bake for 25-30 minutes – or until the center is set. Serve while hot.

Note: why honey? It’s sweeter than sugar, so recipes require less, and it’s also lower on the glycemic index.