Jalapeno Cheddar Bannock

Well, I’m way behind on posting a TON of campground reviews from our big fall trip through Northern Ontario. Staring down folders upon folders with literally thousands of photos to get through.. Yikes.

So, what do I do?

Decide to post recipes!

I got my Apple Fritter Bread Pudding and Apple Fritter French Toast recipes up last night, and now it’s time for a fun variation on my Traditional Bannock Recipe.

The origin of this recipe can be traced back to two separate factors: My cousin, and poor planning on my part.

Growing up, I’d never heard of bannock *with stuff in it*, so when my cousin posted about making blueberry bannock with her dad, it was a revelation!

Then - earlier this fall - I made a batch of my Smoky Dutch Oven Campfire Chili for Porter... and realized that I’d forgotten to bring the cornmeal with us.

So, none of my Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread (recipe coming, evenutally!) for him... but - thinking back to that blueberry bannock - I got it in my head that I could do a bannock version.

The first batch was basically my regular bannock recipe with chopped jalapenos and cheese added to it - was really good, but the texture of the peppers needed a bit of work.

I decided to swap the lard for oil and use it to cook the jalapenos. This was a 2-for-1 thing: Soften the peppers, AND infuse the oil, distributing jalapeno taste throughout each piece of bannock.

It turned out to be a winning idea - he actually prefers it to cornbread.

If you know my husband - so obsessed with anything corn related, that I ended up writing a whole cookbook on the subject (Maize Craze - Spectacular Sweet Corn Recipes!)- you know that’s *WILD*!

Anyway, let’s get to that recipe!

Jalapeno Cheddar Bannock Ingredients

This is a simple bread that uses very basic ingredients. That said - as always - I do have a couple notes for you!

All Purpose Flour

I use all-purpose flour, as that’s how I learned to make bannock in the first place. That’s also how it’s been any time I’ve had it when someone ELSE has made the bannock.

That said, you can substitute part of the white flour with whole wheat flour if you really wanted.

I wouldn’t swap out more than about ⅓ of it, or it could affect the texture.

Cheddar Cheese

I like to use an old or extra old cheddar cheese (“Sharp Cheddar”, for those in the USA) to make this cheesy bannock.

That said, feel free to swap it out.

Monterey Jack would also go well with the peppers, or even a Pepper Jack cheese.

Jalapeno Peppers

You can’t have a cheddar jalapeno bannock without jalapenos!

I use fresh, not canned. I find fresh just has a much better flavour for this bannock, than canned jalapeno slices does.

For a milder bread, use only 1 pepper, and be sure to avoid including the “rib” pieces (whites/lighter pithy strips inside) and seeds.

For a more robust heat and flavour, I’ll chop the rib right in with the peppers, and include the seeds (as pictured!).

Vegetable Oil

Traditionally, I’ve always used lard in my bannocks, as that’s how I was taught. SOMETIMES vegetable oil - especially when we’re camping and feeling lazy, though.

When designing this recipe, vegetable oil just worked a lot better than lard, for the technique I was using.

If you want to use lard anyway, just melt it first.

The nice thing about this is that you can use the same oil for frying it - when I make a lard based dough, I usually end up frying it in vegetable oil.

Anyway, when it comes to deep frying this dough - if you’re making fry bread - be sure to use a neutral tasting oil with a high smoke point - vegetable oil, sunflower oil, or canola oil are all great options.

Everything Else

Rounding out this recipe, you need Baking Powder and Salt.

That’s it! Just 6 main ingredients, plus water - super easy!

How to Make Jalapeno Cheddar Bannock

The full recipe is in the printable recipe card at the end of this post, here is a pictorial walk through.

Prepare the Bannock Dough

In a large bowl, mix together flour, cheese, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Get a medium fire going. You don’t want it too hot, or it will burn the outside of the bannock before cooking it through.

Measure oil into a large nonstick pan or cast iron skillet. Add the chopped jalapenos, cook over a medium fire until peppers are tender and oil is infused. Remove from heat.

Add oil, peppers, and water to the dry mixture, stir well to combine.

Note: Use just enough cold water to bring it together into a sticky dough - You may end up needing a little more or little less water than called for, depending on how you measure your flour, and what texture you like to work with.

If your dough is too sticky to handle, add a little flour.

Knead the cheddar jalapeno bannock dough lightly to smooth it out a little - don’t overwork it, or it will turn out dense. (I like to use gloves, but oiling the hands works well, too!).

Note: When camping, I’ll usually just knead the bannock in the mixing bowl. If I have a kitchen to work in, I’ll knead it on a silicone mat, or just a clean, lightly floured surface.

Cook the Jalapeno Cheddar Bannock

Without bothering to wash it out first, add a bit more oil to the pan and heat it up over the medium fire.

Divide the dough into 4 roughly equal pieces, roll into balls and flatten out into disks.

Place the bannock pieces in the heated cast-iron skillet.

Note: If you’re using a stickier dough, you can sort of lob a piece into the pan, and form it with a spatula in the melted fat. I like to use a less sticky dough, forming each piece into a flat disk before cooking.

Either way, the thickness of the dough will impact the cooking time. Thicker dough = longer to cook through = risk of burning the outsides before the insides cook.

Cover and cook your jalapeno cheddar bannock until the underside is golden brown. Flip and continue cooking until the second side is also golden brown.

Note: if it’s cooking too fast on the outside, cover the pan and remove it from the heat for a few minutes - the trapped heat will let it keep cooking.

Serve warm, with butter.... or drizzled with honey .

To Oven Bake:

Preheat oven to 400 F Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On the baking sheet, form jalapeno cheddar dough into a relatively even round, about 1" thick.

Note: This can be a single flat loaf of bread or divided into smaller portions.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.

To Make Jalapeno Cheddar Fry Bread

When I’m making fry bread, I tend to start out with a dough that’s a bit less sticky, and can be formed into patties by hand BEFORE going into the hot oil.

I’ll usually form those patties a bit thinner than when I’m not deep frying them.

Use enough vegetable oil to come about 1" up the sides of the pan. Heat oil until it sizzles when a small piece of bannock dough is dropped into it.

Once the oil is hot enough, add a few pieces of formed jalapeno cheddar bannock, fry for a few minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through.

Transfer jalapeno cheese fry bread to a plate lined with paper towel, blot any excess grease off. Serve hot!

Leftovers

Leftovers can be cooled to room temperature and stored for a few days in a plastic baggie on the counter, or for around a week in an airtight container in the fridge.

Leftover Jalapeno Cheddar Bannock is best served reheated.

More Camping Recipes

Looking for great ideas to cook on a campfire, or in an RV? Here's a few simple recipes to start with!

Apple Fritter Bread Pudding
Apple Fritter French Toast
Banana Protein Pancakes
Cabbage Roll Soup Mix [Just Add Meat and Water!]
Campfire Chili
Camping Breakfast Skillet
Camping Tacos, 2 Ways
Dutch Oven Pulled Chicken
Egg Roll Soup Mix [Just Add Meat and Water!]
Gingerbread Latte [Protein Powder Mix]
Hobo Eggs
Homemade Mushroom Jerky
Hot Chocolate Mix [Protein Powder Mix]
Instant Camping Pancake Mix
Instant Cream of Chicken Soup [Protein Powder Mix]
Italian Wedding Soup Mix
Pepperoni Jerky
Pumpkin Chai Latte [Protein Powder Mix]
The Ultimate S'Mores Board
Traditional Bannock
Vegan Tofu Jerky