Beef Chili Cornbread Topping (Printer-friendly)

Savory beef chili layered with a golden, sweet cornbread crust for a comforting main dish.

# What You Need:

→ For the Chili

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 large onion, diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1 green bell pepper, diced
06 - 1 ½ pounds ground beef
07 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
08 - 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
09 - 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
10 - 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
11 - 1 tablespoon chili powder
12 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
13 - 1 teaspoon paprika
14 - ½ teaspoon dried oregano
15 - ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
16 - 1 teaspoon salt
17 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
18 - 1 cup beef broth

→ For the Cornbread Topping

19 - 1 cup yellow cornmeal
20 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
21 - 2 tablespoons sugar
22 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
23 - ½ teaspoon salt
24 - 1 cup milk
25 - 2 large eggs
26 - ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F.
02 - In a large ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté for 3 minutes until softened.
03 - Stir in red and green bell peppers; cook for 3 more minutes.
04 - Add ground beef; cook, breaking up with a spoon, until browned, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
05 - Stir in tomato paste, then add diced tomatoes, kidney beans, black beans, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, cayenne, salt, black pepper, and beef broth.
06 - Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
07 - While chili simmers, prepare cornbread topping: In a medium bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
08 - In another bowl, whisk milk, eggs, and melted butter. Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir until just combined.
09 - Spread cornbread batter evenly over the hot chili.
10 - Bake, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes, until cornbread is golden and a toothpick inserted in the topping comes out clean.
11 - Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sweet cornbread against the savory chili creates that perfect sweet and salty balance everyone secretly craves
  • Its essentially a complete meal in one pan, which means less cleanup and more time on the couch
02 -
  • The skillet needs to be ovenproof or you will have a disaster when you transfer it to the oven
  • Spread the cornbread batter as evenly as possible or some spots will be doughy while others overcook
03 -
  • Cast iron skillets create the most beautiful crust on both the chili and the cornbread
  • Letting the chili rest for a few minutes after coming out of the oven makes clean up much easier

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