#MuffinMonday ~ Bacon Cheddar Corn Muffins

#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all our of lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board.

Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday, can be found on our home page.

See all the muffin recipes this week to inspire you to get in the kitchen and whip up a batch of muffins - take your pick between sweet or savory:

• Bacon Cheddar Corn Muffins from Making Miracles
• Banana Cranberry Muffins from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Banana Streusel Muffins from All Roads from Lead to the Kitchen
• Healthy Morning Glory Muffins from Farm Fresh Feasts
• Lemon Ricotta Muffins from Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Savory Corn Bread Muffins from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Sticky Toffee Bran Muffins from Food Lust People Love

I was sent the above mini muffin silicone tray to test out and thought this would be the perfect recipe to try it with. I love these muffins in their mini-form! They would be PERFECT for an appetizer buffet, at your New Years Eve gathering, or make a big green salad up and serve them as an entree! In mini-form they are pefectly poppable and you get a bite of soft, fluffy corn muffin with just the right amount of cheese, bacon, and sauteed onion. If you like a bit more bite or heat, opt for a dash of black pepper too, or use the red pepper instead of chili powder (I used chili powder).

Bacon Cheddar Corn Muffins from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice
Makes: 12 regular sized muffins or approximately 48 mini muffins

Ingredients

8 slices bacon 
3/4 cup chopped onion

1 1/4 cups buttermilk (or 1 1/4 TBS vinegar with enough milk to equal 1 1/4 cups) 
1/4 cup olive oil 
1 large egg, lightly beaten 
1 cup all-purpose flour 
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper or 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, plus more for sprinkling over top

Directions

1. Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy. Remove to paper towels. Ensure you have about 2 TBS grease in pan and then add onion and cook over medium-low heat until soft and tender, 5-10 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 400° degrees F. Spray a mini muffin pan (or regular 12-cup muffin pan) with nonstick cooking spray (grease generously if not using silicone, if using silicone just use a light spray).
3. In a medium bowl whisk together the buttermilk, olive oil and egg.
4. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder and soda, salt and chili powder. Make a well in the center and add milk mixture, stirring until just moist.
5. Crumble the bacon and combine half of it with the sauteed onion and cheddar cheese. Divide bacon mixture equally among baking cups and then top with the corn batter, filling about 3/4 of the way full. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining bacon and additional shredded cheese if desired.
6. For full size muffins, bake 13-16 minutes or until a toothpick in center comes out clean. For mini muffins, bake for 10 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool in their pan(s) for about 10 - 15 minutes, and then remove muffins from pan and finish cooling on wire racks. Serve warm if desired.

*Full Disclosure: I received complimentary product for the purpose of review. I received no compensation for this post. All comments are 100% accurate and 100% my own.