Chili Cornbread Casserole

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 10 minutes
• total time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 yellow onion (diced)

1 red bell pepper (diced)

3 garlic cloves (minced)

Kosher salt

1 pound ground beef (I went 80/20)

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground paprika

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

1 (15-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes

1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles

1 (15-ounce) can can of kidney beans

1 ½ cups beef broth

2/3 cup cornmeal (fine or medium cornmeal)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup light or dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup shredded cheddar

2/3 cup buttermilk (shaken)

2 large eggs

¼ cup neutral oil

Directions

To Make the Chili:

In a large Dutch oven, set over medium heat, add a few teaspoons of olive oil. Add in the onion, red bell pepper, garlic and a few pinches of salt.

Cook until the onions have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef and break it up. Pour in the spices, the tomato paste, canned tomatoes, diced green chiles, kidney beans and beef broth. Stir until all combined.

Bring the mixture to a simmer and lower the heat to low. Cover and cook for about 30 to 35 minutes, until all the flavors have married. Adjust salt to taste. I added an additional ¾ teaspoon of salt.

To Make the Cornbread Topping:

Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and cheddar. In a measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs and oil. Pour the wet into the dry and mix until combined.

When the chili is done, transfer it to a casserole dish and smooth out the top. Add the cornbread batter in one even layer. Transfer to the oven to bake until the top is set, about 25 minutes and the chili is bubbling. Brush the top with butter and serve with sour cream and sliced green onion.

Nutrition

• Calories: 402 kcal
• Total Fat: 32 g
• Saturated Fat: 3 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 26 g
• Trans Fat: 6 g
• Cholesterol: 43 mg
• Sodium: 23 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 13 g
• Dietary Fiber: 4 g
• Total Sugars: 12 g
• Protein: 150 g