Why it works: Rice and corn match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 933 recipes. Both carry 2-nonenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
Ranchero Bread
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Sift cornmeal, salt and baking soda into a large bowl.
Add rice, cheese, corn, onion, jalapeños, milk, eggs and oil; stir just until blended.
Bake
Pour the batter into a 12-inch oven-proof skillet that has been greased and sprinkled with cornmeal.
Bake at 350°F for 40 to 45 minutes.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 10 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Rice | 1 cup cooked (158g) white | 206 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Cheddar Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 113 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Corn | 1/2 cup kernels (82g) | 77 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Jalapeno | 1 pepper (14g) | 4 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Rice + corntop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together933 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Rice + milktop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,374 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Corn + jalapenotop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together494 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Rice + oniontop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,433 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Corn + milktop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,955 recipes
Shared aroma: hexanal (green, grassy).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Cornmeal
- Forms the base of the bread and gives it a grainy, sturdy texture.
- Eggs
- Bind the batter and help set the crumb as it bakes.
- Cheddar cheese
- Adds fat and richness and melts into the crumb for flavor.
- Cream-style corn
- Adds moisture and sweetness, keeping the bread tender.
- Milk
- Hydrates the dry ingredients and helps form a pourable batter.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the batter to help the bread rise and lighten.
The step that matters
Stir just until blended. Overmixing the batter develops gluten and toughens the bread, while the baking soda needs little mixing to react well. Stopping once the ingredients are combined keeps the crumb tender.
Swap the jalapeno
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (rice, cheddar cheese, cream, corn, onion, milk, egg):
- Nutmegfits better
- Celeryfits better
- Garlicfits better
- Jalapenothe original
Fit is the average pairing score against rice, cheddar cheese, cream, corn, onion, milk, egg. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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