Chili Cornbread Casserole (Easy + From Scratch)
Chili Cornbread Casserole layers a flavor-packed base of homemade chili with a topping of cheesy, from-scratch cornbread for the ultimate comfort food dinner!
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If you like chili, you'll also love Daddy's Texas Chili, The BEST Beefy 3-Bean Chili, and Easy Chili Mac. And if you're a fan of cornbread, you'll also enjoy Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread with Bacon and Ultimate Cornbread Casserole!
'Tis the seasoning for chili and cornbread! And since they already complement each other so nicely, what's stopping us from combining them into one tasty dish? Say hello to Chili Cornbread Casserole!
This cozy casserole is reminiscent of my Loaded Mexican Cornbread Casserole in that it boasts a layer of loaded ground beef topped with a layer of jazzed-up cornbread. But while that other recipe gets it inspiration from taco flavors, this one proudly features chili as its star.
Ingredients
The beauty of this Chili Cornbread Casserole recipe is that you can either make it from scratch, save some time by making it from store-bought mixes, or combine the best of both worlds.
And what I mean by that is that this recipe can be quickly whipped up using Homemade Chili Seasoning and Homemade Cornbread Mix to save time and control the ingredients!
- Lean ground beef. Or ground turkey will also work. For the base of the chili.
- Garlic. Minced.
- Black beans + kidney beans. I know, I know, my Texan friends...many of us believe that "real chili" doesn't contain beans. So leave 'em out if you like, but I do feel like the beans add some extra substance (not to mention protein and nutrients) to this particular Chili Cornbread Casserole.
- Chili seasoning mix. This is where you get to decide if you want to use a store-bought packet of chili seasoning or use homemade seasoning! I personally always keep a big jar of Homemade Chili Seasoning in my pantry for quick pots of chili all fall and winter long. Or if you don't have any ready-made chili seasoning on hand either way, you can simply substitute a bit of chili powder, cumin, dried oregano, and salt right when you assemble this recipe.
- Cayenne pepper. Optional, if you'd like your chili layer to have some heat! Or you could use chipotle chile pepper powder instead of cayenne for smoky heat.
- Tomato sauce. To help distribute the spices through the browned ground beef.
- Beef broth. For a bit of extra liquid, but not too much since this is a casserole and not a true chili. And since this recipe calls for such a small amount broth, I usually use water + Organic Beef Better Than Bouillon instead of opening a whole new carton of beef broth.
- Cornbread mix. Again, you can opt to use a store-bought cornbread mix, Homemade Cornbread Mix, or measure out a bit of cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt when you make this recipe.
- Buttermilk (or milk), egg, melted butter, + (optional) honey. To turn the cornbread mix into cornbread batter.
- How to Make Buttermilk: If you'd like to use buttermilk in your cornbread batter but don't have any on hand, it's easy to quickly make your own! Simply measure 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (or white vinegar) into the bottom of a glass measuring cup. Fill to the 1-cup line with milk, stir, and allow to sit for about 10 minutes, which will give the milk time to thicken and curdle into buttermilk.
How to Make Chili Cornbread Casserole
(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)
This Chili Cornbread Casserole can be oven-ready in about 20 minutes!
- Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Grease a square baking dish.
- Cook the ground beef in a large skillet until no longer pink, breaking apart and stirring as the meat browns. Stir in the minced garlic for another minute or so until fragrant.
- Drain the grease and add the canned beans, chili seasoning, cayenne or chipotle powder (if using), tomato sauce, and beef broth. Stir to combine, bring to a simmer, and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While the chili mixture is simmering, prepare your cornbread according to the package or homemade recipe directions (you can reduce or omit the honey, if you wish). Stir in some shredded cheddar cheese until just combined.
- Transfer the chili mixture to the prepared baking dish and smooth the top.
- Evenly dollop the cornbread batter over the chili mixture in dish, smoothing it to the edges of the dish.
- Bake, uncovered, for about half an hour, or until the cornbread is golden brown and tests done with a toothpick in the center.
Serve with your favorite chili toppings, such as sour cream, shredded cheese, cubed avocado, and/or fresh chopped cilantro. Enjoy!
Baking Dish Dimensions
Your 8-inch square baking dish should be at least 2 ½ inches deep.
You may use something other than an 8-inch square baking dish as long as it has a similar capacity (of around 2 to 2 ½ quarts).
Just make sure your dish is not too small and deep or the cornbread may not cook through.
Depending on the dimensions of your specific baking dish, the ingredients could come close to the top. If so, I recommend placing a foil-lined sheet pan under your baking dish for easy clean-up, just in case the chili bubbles over.
Alternatively, you can opt to brown your ground beef -- and subsequently make your chili -- in a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Then you can simply layer the cornbread batter directly on top and pop the same skillet into the oven for a one-pan version of Chili Cornbread Casserole!
Modifications, Yield, + Storage
It's easy to tweak this Chili Cornbread Casserole to your liking. To add veggies to your chili layer, feel free to sauté some onions and/or bell peppers before adding the ground beef to the pan. You can also opt to stir a can of (drained) diced tomatoes into your chili.
Sometimes I even like to stir a can of diced green chiles into the cornbread batter!
This recipe yields about 6 servings. Leftovers should be tightly covered and refrigerated for up to 5 days.
And I find it's easiest to reheat individual servings in the microwave.
Chili Cornbread Casserole is proof that simple, humble ingredients sometimes make the best dinners!
One bite and you'll see why this one's a keeper. 🙂
More Cozy Casseroles
- Mexican Chicken + Rice Casserole (Dump-and-Bake)
- Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole
- Chicken Orzo Bake (Dump-and-Bake)
- Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
Chili Cornbread Casserole
Ingredients
For the Chili Layer:
- 1 pound lean ground beef, OR ground turkey
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
- 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained
- 3 tablespoons Homemade Chili Seasoning, see NOTES [OR 1 (1.25-ounce) packet store-bought chili seasoning mix]
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne OR chipotle chile pepper powder, or to taste (OPTIONAL for heat)
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- ½ cup beef broth
For the Cornbread Layer:
- 2 cups Homemade Cornbread Mix (plus ingredients to prepare as directed, such as buttermilk, egg, & melted butter), see NOTES [OR 1 (8.5-ounce) package store-bought cornbread mix]
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- With oven rack in center position, preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease or spray an 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Set a pot, saucepan, or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink, breaking apart and stirring as the meat cooks. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute or two until fragrant.
- Drain the grease from the meat and add the canned beans, chili seasoning, cayenne or chipotle (if using), tomato sauce, and beef broth. Stir to combine, bring to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer chili mixture to greased baking dish, smoothing the top.
- While chili mixture is simmering, prepare Homemade Cornbread Mix according to the directions (you may choose to reduce or omit the honey, if you wish). Stir in shredded cheddar cheese until just combined.
- Evenly dollop cornbread batter over chili mixture in dish, smoothing to the edges of dish. Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes or until cornbread is golden brown and tests done with a toothpick in the center. Serve with your favorite chili toppings, such as a dollop of sour cream, a pinch of shredded cheese, cubed avocado, and/or a sprinkle of cilantro.
Notes
- BAKING DISH SIZE: Your 8-inch square baking dish should be at least 2 ½ inches deep. You may use something other than an 8-inch square baking dish as long as it has a similar capacity (of around 2 to 2 ½ quarts). Just make sure your dish is not too small and deep or the cornbread may not cook through.
- Depending on the dimensions of your specific baking dish, the ingredients could come close to the top. If so, I recommend placing a foil-lined sheet pan under your baking dish for easy clean-up, just in case the chili bubbles over.
- CAST IRON SKILLET: Alternatively, you can brown your ground beef and subsequently make your chili in a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Then simply layer the cornbread batter directly on top and pop the skillet into the oven for a one-pan version of Chili Cornbread Casserole.
- OPTIONAL OMISSIONS: I know that many of my fellow Texans do not consider a recipe to be "chili" if it contains beans. So omit the beans if you wish…but I like to include them since they add extra protein, nutrients, and bulk to a recipe like this. 😉
- OPTIONAL ADDITIONS: Feel free to add extra veggies to your Chili Cornbread Casserole. You can sauté some onions and/or bell peppers before adding the ground beef to the pan. You can also stir a can of (drained) diced tomatoes into your chili. Or you can even stir a can of diced green chiles into the cornbread batter.
- CHILI SEASONING: If you don't have a batch of Homemade Chili Seasoning on hand and/or you don't want to use a store-bought packet, you may substitute 2 tablespoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons cumin, ½ teaspoon oregano, and ½ teaspoon salt for the chili sesasoning in this recipe.
- CORNBREAD MIX: If you don't have a batch of Homemade Cornbread Mix on hand and/or you don't want to use a store-bought mix, you may substitute 1 cup cornmeal, 1 cup flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt for the cornbread mix in this recipe. Whisk in a bowl and then stir in 1 cup buttermilk (at room temperature), 1 egg (whisked), 4 tablespoons butter (melted and cooled), and 1 tablespoon honey (if desired) until combined. If the batter is a little too thick, stir in an additional splash of buttermilk or milk.
- MILK OPTIONS: I love making cornbread with buttermilk, but you may also use regular whole or 2% milk (or even unsweetened almond milk) in this recipe if that's your preference.
- BUTTERMILK SUBSTITUTE: If you want to use buttermilk but don't have any on hand, simply measure 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (or white vinegar) into the bottom of a glass measuring cup. Fill the cup to the 1-cup line with milk, stir, and allow it to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. During this time, the milk will thicken and curdle into buttermilk.
- BEEF BROTH: Since this recipe only calls for ½ cup beef broth, I often use Organic Beef Better Than Bouillon plus water in its place so I don't have to open a whole carton of beef broth.
