Description

This Chili Pie with Cornbread Topping is a one-pot dinner that'll feed your entire family. Filled with ground beef, sautéed bell pepper and onion, and chili seasonings, then topped with a homemade cheesy cornbread, you'll want to make this meal on repeat all Fall and Winter long!

Ingredients

Scale

FOR THE CHILI FILLING

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (90/10)

1 tablespoon avocado oil

1 large yellow onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped into small pieces (about 1 cup)

1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

3 tablespoons chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon paprika

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, more to taste if needed

1 cup beef broth

2 (4 ounce) cans mild diced green chilies

2 (14 ounce) cans diced fire roasted tomatoes

2 (15.5 ounce) cans dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

FOR THE CHEESY CORNBREAD TOPPING

1 cup (176 grams) cornmeal

1 cup (135 grams) all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup low fat buttermilk

2 large eggs

1/2 cup avocado oil

3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Prep the cornbread topping: In a large bowl, stir together cornmeal, all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, oil, and cheese. Set aside.
Make the chili filling: Heat a deep 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook until the meat is crumbled and no longer pink.
Add oil, onions, and peppers. Cook, stirring intermittently, for about 4 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and cook 1 more minute.
Add in tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, dried oregano, paprika, and salt. Stir well to coat the meat and the veggies.
Pour in the beef broth and bring to a boil. Let the broth cook down for about 2 to 3 minutes.
Turn the heat down to medium-low and stir in the green chilies, fire roasted tomatoes, and beans. Cook, stirring again intermittently, for about 5 minutes. It should be a bit thicker than normal chili to prevent the cornbread from getting soggy.
While waiting for the chili to thicken, pour the wet ingredients for the cornbread into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Use a large spatula to stir the mixture together until just combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl until there is no dry flour remaining, but do not overmix!
When the chili is ready, remove it from the heat. Carefully spread the cornbread batter evenly to the edges of the pan on top of the hot chili. Do not mix it in. It may look thin but it will rise as it bakes!
Bake in the oven for 25 to 27 minutes, or until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cornbread comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs. If it begins to brown too quickly, you can loosely cover the top with foil for the remaining bake time.

Notes

Don't overmix the cornbread! If you overmix it, it'll create too much gluten, causing the final product to be tough and dense instead of light and cake-like.
Make sure to prep the cornbread ingredients first and then add the cornbread mixture while the chili is hot. Add the cornbread batter right after cooking the chili on the stovetop. If the filling is no longer hot, then you'll risk that the cornbread will be raw and gummy on the bottom after baking.
If you don't have an oven-safe skillet, this recipe works in a 9x13 baking dish too. Spray the baking dish with nonstick spray. Pour the cooked chili filling into the dish after cooking, then immediately top with the cornbread batter from edge to edge. Bake according to the above recipe instructions.

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 42 minutes
Category: American, Dinner
Method: Baking, Sautéing
Cuisine: American, Mexican, Tex Mex