CHEDDAR BACON JALAPENO CORNBREAD LOAF

CHEDDAR BACON JALAPENO CORNBREAD LOAF 2 cup self-rising flour 1 (7 oz) package Mexican Style Cornbread & Muffin mix 1 Tbs chopped fresh chives 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1 medium jalapeno pepper 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled 1 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese 1 1/4 cup milk 1/2 cup butter, melted 3 large eggs Preheat the oven to 350°F. Liberally spray a non-stick 9x5x4-inch loaf pan. Set aside. Sift together the flour, Mexican cornbread mix, chives, cumin and garlic powder. Cut 5 thin slices from the jalapeno and set aside. Seed and chop the rest of the pepper. Add the chopped jalapeno, crumbled bacon, and 1 cup shredded cheese to the sifted dry ingredients. Mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, melted butter and eggs. By hand mix the wet into the dry ingredients stirring until fully moistened. Spread the dough into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the top with the remaining shredded cheese and arrange the jalapeno slices on top. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a long skewer inserted into the center shows moist crumbs. Cool in the pan for 30 minutes then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Wrap tightly for storage or slice and serve immediately.