Description
This Chili Cornbread Casserole is a comforting one-pan meal combining a flavorful, hearty chili base topped with a golden, cheesy cornbread crust. It’s perfect for family dinners, offering a balanced blend of spicy, savory, and slightly sweet flavors with a satisfying texture contrast between the rich chili and fluffy cornbread topping.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Chili:
- Cooking spray
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion, diced (1 cup)
- 1 small bell pepper, any color, diced (1 cup)
- 1 small jalapeno, diced (seeds and membranes removed for less heat)
- Additional 2 tablespoons sliced jalapeno for topping, optional
- 3–4 garlic cloves, minced (1 ½ tablespoons)
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon fine salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (14-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans or black beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup frozen corn
For the Cornbread Topping:
- ¾ cup yellow cornmeal
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour (use 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend, if needed)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- ½ cup milk of choice (2% recommended)
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- ½ teaspoon white vinegar
- ¾ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Optional for Serving:
- Sour cream
- Fresh cilantro
- Diced avocado
- Sliced jalapeño
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 400℉ to ensure it’s ready for baking the casserole later.
- Cook the Beef and Vegetables: Place a large oven-proof skillet with lid (3.5–4 quart capacity) over medium-high heat and lightly mist with cooking spray. Add the ground beef, diced onion, bell pepper, jalapeño (if using), and minced garlic. Cook for 8-9 minutes, breaking up the meat with a spatula and stirring occasionally until the beef is browned and the onions are soft.
- Add Spices: Stir in the chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper with the beef and vegetable mixture to bring out the chili’s deep flavor.
- Combine Tomato and Beans: Add the tomato sauce, diced fire-roasted tomatoes, drained beans, tomato paste, and frozen corn. Stir thoroughly and bring the mixture almost to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Simmer the Chili: Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover with the lid, and simmer for 8 minutes to let the flavors meld. Then remove the lid and cook uncovered for another 4 minutes to thicken the chili slightly.
- Prepare Cornbread Batter: In a medium bowl, mix yellow cornmeal, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add milk, egg, avocado oil, and white vinegar and stir just until the batter is smooth and combined.
- Top the Chili with Cornbread: Drop the cornbread batter in 6 to 8 mounds evenly over the hot chili. Place a sliced jalapeño on top of each mound if using for added heat and garnish.
- Bake the Casserole: Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake the cornbread topping for 10 minutes. Then, sprinkle shredded sharp cheddar cheese evenly over the cornbread and bake for an additional 6-8 minutes until the cheese is melted and a toothpick inserted into the cornbread comes out clean.
- Rest and Serve: Remove the casserole from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes to allow flavors to settle. Serve warm, optionally garnished with sour cream, fresh cilantro, diced avocado, sliced jalapeño, and lime wedges.
Notes
- For less heat, remove seeds and membranes from the jalapeños or omit them.
- Use a gluten-free flour blend to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Substitute ground turkey or plant-based meat alternative for a different protein option.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheated in the oven or microwave.
- If you don’t have an oven-proof skillet, assemble the chili in a skillet and transfer to a baking dish before topping and baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (1/8 casserole)
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 560mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
