Cornbread-Chili Casserole

One day about a week ago my mom and I were wondering what to have for dinner. I mentioned this recipe I found in that week's Parade issue (Parade is the name of a little magazine-type thing that comes in the paper once a week). We had all the ingredients, and it sounded good, so I went ahead with it.

Actually, contrary to the title, this recipe contains no chili. But it has chili-like ingredients in it, such as onion, salsa, chili powder, and cumin. And then there's the cornbread, which adds a chili-like touch. I didn't prepare the recipe exactly according to directions because some parts contradicted my tried and true food-preparation methods. For example, instead of cooking the beef along with the already-cooked onions, I cooked the beef first, and then added it to the onions when they were done cooking. I also used a sauce pan instead of a large skillet; I also added less salsa, to save some for my brother's snacking. Then, as we don't buy cornbread mix, I made the cornbread from scratch. And even though the recipe calls for cheddar cheese, I used t he Mexican blend that can be easily purchased at Trader Joe's. And even though the recipe says to spread the cornbread batter on top of the "chili", I found it easier and funner to just throw globs of cornbread batter on in no particular order. Strange, I know. But at least I didn't make a mess and my hands were clean. Oh, and please note, it took a lot less time to bake than is prescribed by the recipe. The recipe says to bake for 40 minutes, but I think 15 is more like it, a little more if you like your cornbread past the "golden brown stage".

So, fifteen minutes after I put it in the oven, it was ready to be eaten.

I served it with sour cream and extra cheese. And boy was it yummy. Even with all my tweaking and substituting, it was great. (Although there could have been more salsa.)

Here is the recipe, from Dorie Greenspan's 1-2-3Eats column in Parade, plus the cornbread recipe from The Joy of Cooking. I edited both recipes, to accomodate my changes, and to fit the format of the recipe shown below.

Chili - Cornbread Casserole

• 1 tbsp. oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 - 1/2 lbs. ground chuck
• 1 - 1/2 c. bottled salsa
• one 15 oz. can corn, drained (another substitution: I used frozen corn that came in a plastic bag)
• 1/4 c. water
• 1 c. shredded cheddar, optional (or, in my case, Mexican blend, which is still optional, but I would recommend using it)
• cumin to taste
• chili powder to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• one 7 to 8 oz box of cornbread mix (or see recipe that follows this one)
• ingredients necessary for cornbread mix (if you're using it)

Cornbread (from The Joy of Cooking)

• 1 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 - 1/2 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3/4 c. yellow stone-ground cornmeal
• 1 - 1/2 c. buttermilk or yogurt
• 2 eggs
• 3 to 4 tbsp. melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit. Heat oil in a large skillet (or sauce pan) and saute onion until soft
2. In a separate skillet, cook beef until no longer pink
3. Add beef to onions and along with salsa, corn, water, and cheese. Season to taste with cumin and chili powder
4. Place mixture in a 7 -x- 11 inch casserole pan, spread evenly and set aside
5. Mix all the dry ingredients for the cornbread together
6. Combine the wet ingredients in a separate bowl and mix well
7. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and mix well
8. Take globs of cornbread mixture and place them on the beef mixture, the pat them down a little with a spatula
9. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the cornbread is browned slightly and the "chili" below it is bubbling
10. Serve hot with sour cream and additional cheese.