Ashley's Vidalia Onion Cast-Iron Cornbread

Saw this one in the paper this morning. I LOVE corn bread, and hope you do, too!! Editor's note: remember that when you see an asterisk*, it denotes something I have changed, suggested, or added. If the recipe is proceeded by MM's, it is one that I have made up.
(serves 8)

1&1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup yellow corn meal - get the coarsest* you can find - I use a polenta dry mix*
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 whole eggs, beaten
1/3 cup veg. oil
3 T. melted Kerrygold* butter
1 large Vidalia onion, sliced thin and kept together as one piece in rounds
A few grinds of freshly ground pepper
4 slices bacon, diced
1 small can mild diced green chiles*
1 small can creamed corn*
3/4 cup shredded 4 Mexican cheeses*
A sprinkling of smoked paprika*
A pat of Kerrygold butter*

Heat oven to 375. Saute bacon over low heat in a 9 or 10" cast-iron skillet until crisp. Meanwhile slice the onion, making sure you keep them intact and in one piece. Remove bacon from pan but leave the bacon grease for the onions to cook in. Carefully place the onion rounds in the bottom of the pan to cover the surface. Let onions cook until the edges begin to brown. Be careful to keep onions in place - the bottom of the pan will have a "polka dot" pattern. Season onions with a dusting of pepper. Turn off the heat and set aside until ready to bake the cornbread. If the pan cools down, warm the pan on low before pouring in the cornbread batter. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, corn meal, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together the cream, buttermilk, oil, eggs, and melted butter until combined - the mixture will emulsify. Set aside. Add wet to dry ingredients, and add green chiles, creamed corn, and cheese, if using, and mix until combined. Don't over mix. Batter should look slightly lumpy. Just before baking, add the cooked bacon back to the pan and place in the areas around the onions, not on top of the onions or it will interfere with the onion pattern. Pour cornbread batter directly into hot pan; sprinkle with smoked paprika on top. Place in the center rack of the oven, and bake for 30 min. or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. When you remove from oven, immediately rub the pat of butter over top. Cool in the pan for 20 min.; run a blunt knife around the edges of the skillet to make sure it isn't sticking on the sides. Carefully turn the skillet upside down and flip out cornbread onto a large plate to expose onion rounds - you can invert the cornbread and place it upside down back into the skillet for serving. Serve at room temp. or warm.

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Love,

MM