Jalapeno Cheese Bread

A few weeks ago I decided that I wanted a bread maker but that I didn't want to pay a lot of money for it in case I, like many others before me, ended up using it once and then never again. In a rare stroke of genius, I decided to check Craigslist, and lo and behold, there was a bread maker for the low, low price of $15. A few days later, I successfully made wheat bread. I have since made several loafs of French bread as well and actually haven't bought bread from the grocery store since. When I got home from my trip to Indiana, we had no bread left, so I asked Joe if he had a preference, and he requested jalapeno cheese bread.

The three words: jalapeno, cheese, and bread are some of the three most delicious words in the English language. For me, they immediately conjure up nights at Goode Company BBQ in Houston using the slice of jalapeno cheese bread to soak up barbecue sauce. I also recall the car trip in between Dallas and Houston when my mom and I split a loaf of jalapeno cheese bread at 10 am from Woody's Smokehouse in Centerville. I used to get full-blown cravings for jalapeno cheese bread, so I jumped at the chance to make this.

I think it turned out pretty well. I threw a few more jalapenos in than the recipe called for, but if you've been reading for any length of time at all, you know that we like things spicy. This was the first recipe I made that was not from the user manual of my bread maker, so I was a little wary of how it would turn out. Besides for the weird thing with the crust, it looks great. If it lasts long enough, I'm thinking of serving these catfish po-boys on it next week. It's not quite Goode Company, but it'll tide me over. (Oh! And I just found the Goode Company recipe on Homesick Texan!)

Jalapeno Cheese Bread (source)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 3 cups bread flour
• 3 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, in small pieces
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped canned jalapeno peppers
  
• 1/4 cup finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese or finely shredded Mexican blend of cheeses

Preparation:

Add the ingredients to the bread machine pan according to your bread machine manufacturer's suggested order. Select white or basic with a light or medium crust.
Use fewer jalapenos or mild chile peppers for a milder bread (like you would want that). Makes a 2-pound loaf.