November is here and I’m participating in NaNo 2.0 which means I’m writing longer hours each day than normal. And this Chili Cornbread Skillet is the perfect dish to make when I’m really busy. I usually have the ingredients in the pantry, and it takes only about 15 minutes to put together. I make the chili ahead of time and then make the cornbread right before I want to bake it. Also, I’ve been known to use a box of Jiffy cornbread instead of making my own… it all depends on my time and my mood! I hope you enjoy this meal, and it’s perfect for these nights that are getting colder and darker. I also like to serve this with my favorite Artichoke and Hearts of Palm Salad. Because we all need veggies during these darker months.
Chili Cornbread Skillet
I love this recipe because it's a "one pot meal". It can go from the stove to the oven and right to the table. I use black beans in my chili because my family hates kidney beans, but the original recipe calls for 1 can of kidney beans and 1 can of black beans. But I've made so many substitutions to this dish that you can basically add or delete anything you want. The only caveat I have is to make sure your baking powder hasn't expired. Because that could be a problem!
Ingredients
Chili
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ large Vidalia onion diced
- 2 15.5 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 15 ounce can water
- 2 Tablespoons chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground paprika
Cornbread:
- ¾ cup flour
- 5 Tablespoons cornmeal
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 2 Tablespoons butter softened
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400℉. Heat an oven-safe skillet on the stove over medium heat. Brown the ground beef and onion until beef is cooked all the way through and the onion is soft. This will take anywhere from 5-10 minutes. Drain the grease from the skillet.
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Keeping the beef in the skillet, stir in the black beans (or kidney beans if you prefer), tomato sauce, water, chili powder, brown sugar, cumin, cocoa powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and paprika. Heat the pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 7 minutes or until all the ingredients are heated uniformly.
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While the chili is cooking, whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt together in a bowl. Whisk in the milk, egg, butter, and vanilla extract. Then spoon the cornbread batter over the chili in the skillet.
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Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until the cornbread is brown and slightly crisp around the edges. Serve immediately with your favorite chili garnishes.
