Savory Corn and Pepper Muffins

From Savory Corn and Pepper Muffins

My hubby and I love spicy food. The more peppers the better.  We also love our Southern food. To us, cornbread and beans go hand in hand (to borrow from a song) like the rhythm and blues.  That is why when Rebecca from Ezra Pound Cake decided for Dorie's (and I hope I write it down right this time) Savory Corn and Pepper muffins to be this Tuesday's challenge,  I automatically knew that I would have to put a spin on "Spaghetti Night". Yes, Mondays have officially become" Spaghetti Night" in our household, but I knew somehow, someway I would fit in these "Southwestern Twang"  muffins (as described by Dorie herself) into this night.

And, I did.  I started off by making slow cooked, ham flavored infused pinto beans in the crock pot this morning. I just love the smell of beans cooking in the kitchen, especially the way the aroma fills the house while you go about your day. It is one of my favorite memories, smelling my grandma's beans cooking all day on Saturdays to serve throughout the week.  It was also special to sit down at her table with a pot of hot steaming beans that were flavored perfectly with garlic and chopped onions with a topping of cheddar cheese. Later as an adult, I would add chopped jalapenos. The only thing that could make it more perfect was fresh hot homemade salsa, tortillas, or cornbread served on the side.

From Savory Corn and Pepper Muffins

Along with our beans, to keep with the theme of "Spaghetti Night",  I made a Mexican version of spaghetti, Sopa de Fideo. My kids absolutely go nuts when I make this. Sopa de Fideo is vermicelli cooked in a tomato sauce flavored with garlic, chicken bouillons, cumin, chopped onions, and salt and pepper. Usually,  I slice up hot dogs in it for the kids (the way my grandma did). However, tonight I did not. I served it as a side to the beans and warm, good smelling Savory Corn and Pepper Muffins.
The only twists I made to the muffins were:

•   I  added Cooked Jimmy Dean sausage to the batter

•   I added a little extra sugar to the batter  
  

A few minutes before the muffins came out, I sprinkled them with Monterrey Jack cheese to melt on the tops. The muffins were really good. My husband likes spicy things (that is why he married me) , as do I, so I would probably add more jalapenos to this recipe for us next time.  I would love to add more sugar as well. I usually add an  extra 1/2 cup of sugar (yes, yes, I know) to my cornbread recipe. The kids and I love ours to taste almost like cake. 

From Savory Corn and Pepper Muffins

Thanks Rebecca for giving us an excuse to sit down to an old-fashioned, simple, comfort food meal. Please go visit her site for the Savory Corn and Pepper recipe. She really has a wonderful food blog! Also, don't forget to check out what the other TWD'ers paired with their magnificent muffins.

Next Up: Dorie's Berry Surprise Cake