Description
This Chili Cornbread Casserole is a hearty, veggie-packed dish combining a flavorful chili base with a sweet cornbread topping. Perfect for a comforting, one-dish meal, it features lean ground beef, beans, and fire-roasted tomatoes simmered together and baked under a golden cornbread crust with melted sharp cheddar cheese.
Ingredients
Scale
Chili Base
- 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)
- 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
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 toppings: 2 tablespoons sliced jalapeno, sour cream, fresh cilantro, diced avocado, sliced jalapeno and/or lime wedges
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 400℉ to prepare for baking the casserole.
- Cook the Chili Base: Heat a large oven-proof skillet (3.5–4 quart) over medium-high heat and spray lightly with cooking spray. Add ground beef, diced onion, bell pepper, jalapeno if using, and minced garlic. Cook for 8-9 minutes, stirring occasionally to soften vegetables and fully brown the meat.
- Season the Chili: Stir in chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper, mixing well to coat the meat and vegetables with spices.
- Add Tomato and Beans: Pour in tomato sauce, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained beans, tomato paste, and frozen corn. Stir thoroughly and bring the mixture nearly to a boil.
- Simmer the Chili: Lower heat to medium-low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 8 minutes. Remove the lid and cook uncovered for another 4 minutes to thicken the sauce.
- Prepare Cornbread Batter: In a medium bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir well, then add milk, egg, avocado oil, and white vinegar. Mix just until smooth.
- Top the Chili: Drop the cornbread batter in 6-8 mounds evenly over the chili in the skillet. If desired, place a sliced jalapeno on each mound.
- Bake the Casserole: Bake uncovered for 10 minutes. Then sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the cornbread and chili. Return to the oven and bake an additional 8 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cornbread comes out clean and cheese is melted.
- Rest and Serve: Remove skillet from the oven and let the casserole rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with optional sour cream, fresh cilantro, diced avocado, sliced jalapeno, or lime wedges as desired.
Notes
- Using lean ground beef reduces excess fat and makes this dish healthier.
- Removing jalapeno seeds and membranes reduces heat for a milder flavor. Add extra jalapeno slices on top if you prefer more spice.
- You can substitute black beans for pinto beans depending on preference.
- For gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend instead of all-purpose flour in the cornbread topping.
- Make sure not to overmix the cornbread batter to keep it light and fluffy.
- letting the casserole rest before serving allows the cornbread to set and makes serving easier.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 recipe
- Calories: 336 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 970 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 21 g
- Cholesterol: 57 mg
