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2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 large sweet potato (the deep orange one) cooked and mashed (about 1 cup of mashed sweet potato)
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (I used the Darigold brand Bulgarian-style buttermilk, but any buttermilk will do.)
1 stick of butter, melted
4-5 strips bacon, candied by baking with a small sprinkling of brown sugar on top, and cut into small pieces
1 cup grated white cheddar cheese
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and very finely diced
1 Ortega (or Anaheim) chili seeded and coarsely diced
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9 x 11 baking dish. (You can also use a 9 x 13, but it will just not be as tall, and will bake for a shorter time.)
In a large mixing bowl, mix cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and brown sugar. In a smaller bowl, mix the mashed sweet potato, bacon pieces, eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, diced peppers and cheese. Mix well. Pour into the dried ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Turn batter out into prepared baking dish. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until done in the center.
Remove from oven and serve hot, or cool and refrigerate until ready to serve. Reheat if serving at another time.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA