Chili Cornbread Casserole

Chili cornbread casserole is one of those simple feel-good comfort food meals that easily feeds a crowd and fills them with a warm fervent glow.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Mexican

Keyword Chili Cornbread Casserole, Chili Cornbread Casserole Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 52

Total Time 1 7

Servings -8 servings

Calories 981kcal

Author Kathleen

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook and crumble ground beef in 2 batches. Cook until there is no longer any pink in the meat. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Remove and discard all but 2 tablespoons of the fat in the skillet. If you do not have 2 tablespoons, add vegetable oil.
Turn the heat to medium-low and saute the onion, garlic, and jalapeño, stirring often, until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, oregano and chili powder, and smoked paprika, over softened vegetables. Continue to cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly so spices don't burn, until spices are fragrant.
Stir in the cooked beef, salsa, chili beans, and their juices, pinto or black beans, and sugar; simmer for 5-7 minutes. Pour into a 9 X13 inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, mix together the corn muffin mix, eggs, sugar, with milk. Spread it thinly over the chili mixture. Bake until the edges of the topping are golden, 30 to 35 minutes.
Let sit for 10 minutes. Serve with sour cream, and green onion.

Chili – You’ll see that the chili portion of this recipe is heavy on the spices and aromatics (most are). Don’t skip that extra 1-2 minute step of cooking the spices. It totally wakes up the flavor of your chili and makes it a lot more flavorful!
- Dried spices can tend toward dull bitterness but a quick toast over medium heat totally perks them up. Be sure to stir continuously because dried spices are easily burned.
Salsa – The salsa makes a nice addition to the chili and gives it a refreshing little kick. Any brand will work, so use your favorite.
Cornbread – The extra little bit of sugar in the cornbread gives it a nice, sweet flavor that marries well with the savory kick of the chili mixture underneath. I just spread a thin layer of the batter and bake it until it starts to brown on top.
Size of Casserole Dish – This recipe needs to be baked in a deep 9X13 dish. A standard Pyrex 9X13 might be a problem. My sister, Christine, told me that Pyrex has come out with a new deeper version. I have only seen it available at Target. Have any of you seen it anywhere else? Has anyone bought it yet?