Description
This hearty Chili and Cornbread Casserole combines savory ground beef chili and fluffy cornbread baked to golden perfection. A cozy, one-dish comfort food recipe that’s perfect for family dinners, potlucks, or meal prepping. With bold spices, beans, and sweet cornbread topping, it’s a classic Southern-inspired casserole.
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
1 box cornbread mix (or homemade cornbread batter)
1 large egg
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
Instructions
1. Brown the ground beef in a large oven-safe skillet or casserole dish over medium heat.
2. Add diced onion and garlic, and cook until fragrant and softened.
3. Stir in tomato paste, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, black beans, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
4. Let the chili mixture simmer for 10 minutes to blend flavors.
5. In a separate bowl, mix the cornbread batter with egg and milk. Stir in cheddar cheese if using.
6. Spread the cornbread batter evenly over the chili.
7. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20–25 minutes, or until the cornbread is golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Let rest for 5–10 minutes before serving.
Notes
This recipe is great for meal prep and freezes well.
You can make it vegetarian by using lentils or mushrooms.
Add diced jalapeños to the cornbread batter for a spicy kick.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 portion
- Calories: 485
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 820mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 7g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 80mg