Chili Cornbread Bake

I love chili and I love cornbread with my chili.  With this casserole, you get chili and cornbread all in one.  I discovered this wonderful recipe over at King Arthur Flour and have found another winner.

Hearty chili is sandwiched between homemade cornbread with some cheddar cheese thrown in for some extra goodness.  I wasn't sure if the cornbread would end up soggy, but it was perfect.  Joe and I both loved this recipe.  It was a perfect Saturday evening supper and great comfort food as our weather turns colder.

We enjoyed this with a little sour cream and salsa on the side.  Delicious!  A great combination.

This is a fantastic casserole and one I'll be making often this winter.

Enjoy!

Chili Cornbread Bake
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Filling

3/4 pound ground beef* (I used a full pound)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can (15 ounces) dark red kidney beans or black beans, well drained
1 can (15 ounces) chopped tomatoes, drained
1 tsp. chili powder (optional)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper or a few dashes hot sauce (optional)
1 T cornmeal
1 cup (4 ounces) grated sharp cheddar cheese (for sprinkling over the filling)

*You can substitute one 15-ounce can of beans (kidney, pinto, black or chickpeas) for the ground beef.

Cornbread

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups cornmeal
1/4 cup buttermilk powder**
1 T baking powder
1 1/4 tsp. salt
2 T sugar
3 T vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 cup milk** or water**
2 T diced fresh (or 1 small can, drained) jalapeno chilies (optional) (I used fresh)

**Instead of using 1 cup of water or milk and 1/4 cup buttermilk powder, you can just use 1 cup of buttermilk, which is what I did.

Filling:

Brown the ground beef, and drain it well. Add the chopped onion, and cook until soft. Stir in all of the remaining ingredients, except for the grated cheese. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. The chili filling should be very thick. If it seems watery, cook for several minutes to reduce the liquid. Remove the chili from the heat, and allow it to cool to lukewarm while you make the cornbread.

Preheat your oven to 425°F. Grease a 10-inch cast iron skillet OR a 2-quart casserole dish OR a 9-inch square cake pan.

Cornbread:

Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, buttermilk powder (if using), baking powder, salt, and sugar. In a separate bowl whisk together the oil, eggs, milk or water (or buttermilk), and peppers.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until blended. Spoon about half the batter into the baking dish. Spread the chili over the batter. Sprinkle with about three-quarters of the cheese. Drop spoonfuls of the remaining batter on top of the chili, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the bread is golden brown.

Makes 8 servings.

Source:  King Arthur Flour