Preheat your oven to 375°F.
Prepare your muffin tins. I didn't use muffin cups for these; they worked fine by greasing the muffin tin directly. Non-stick cooking spray, oil, and butter all work fine.
Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, cornmeal, chives, onion powder, and parmesan in a mixing bowl.
In a different bowl, melt the butter, then mix in the buttermilk and egg, whisking to combine.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry, add 1 cup of cheddar, and mix until just combined.
Fill your muffin cups about half way up, then top with the remaining cheddar cheese.
Bake for about 10-13 minutes. The muffins may seem a little under-done when you remove them; they'll finish baking while they cool.
Serve warm, optionally with a bit of butter, and enjoy!