Jalapeño Cheddar Smoked Sausage Cornbread Poppers

Jalapeño Cheddar Smoked Sausage Cornbread Poppers

These are the appetizer that disappears before the main course arrives. A golden cornbread bite with a medallion of Opa's Jalapeño Cheddar Smoked Sausage sitting right on top — the jalapeño heat from the sausage meets a hot honey drizzle, the cheddar in the sausage melts into the cornbread, and the whole thing is gone in one bite. Make more than you think you need. You'll understand why.

Author

Opa's Smoked Meats

Prep Time

10 minutes

Servings

20 bites

Category

Appetizer

Cuisine

American

Ingredients

• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp sugar (gives the cornbread a slightly sweet edge that contrasts with the jalapeño heat — leave it out if you prefer your cornbread savory)
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 links Opa's Jalapeño Cheddar Smoked Sausage, sliced into 1/2-inch medallions
• 2 tbsp honey
• A few dashes of hot sauce (or skip the hot sauce for a milder drizzle)
• Fresh chives or thin-sliced jalapeño rounds for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat and prep. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a mini muffin tin. Use a mini muffin tin, not a standard one — the ratio of cornbread to sausage matters. Too much bread and the sausage gets lost.
2. Slice the sausage. Cut the Opa's Jalapeño Cheddar Smoked Sausage into 1/2-inch medallions. Set aside.
3. Mix the batter. Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in one bowl. In another, whisk the buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter. Combine wet into dry and stir until just mixed — don't overwork it. Fold in the shredded cheddar.
4. Assemble. Spoon a small amount of batter into each mini muffin cup — about two-thirds full. Place one sausage medallion on top of each, pressing it gently so it sits partially in the batter with the top still visible. You want the sausage showing, not buried.
5. Bake. 15-18 minutes, until the cornbread is golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Make the hot honey drizzle. While the poppers bake, warm the honey in a small dish and stir in a few dashes of hot sauce. Taste and adjust — you want warmth, not fire. The jalapeño in the sausage is already doing the heavy lifting.
7. Finish and serve. Let the poppers cool slightly in the tin, then transfer to a board. Drizzle with the hot honey and scatter fresh chives or thin jalapeño slices on top. Serve with a small ramekin of the remaining honey for dipping.