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Cornbread Chili

A rich beef and kidney bean chili topped with a tender, golden cornmeal crust baked directly in one skillet.

45 minMediumServes 6480 cal/serving

Southern AmericanDinnerStovetop and OvenHigh ProteinStandardHigh FiberNut-FreeShellfish-FreePork-FreeAlcohol-FreeSesame-Free

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Ingredients

  • 1.5 lbs lean ground beef
  • 1 cup yellow onion, diced
  • 2 tbsp chili powder
  • 2 cans canned diced tomatoes
  • 2 cans canned dark red kidney beans, drained
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 large egg, beaten

Instructions

  1. 1

    Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In an oven-safe skillet, brown 1.5 lbs lean ground beef and 1 cup diced yellow onion over medium heat until meat reaches 160 degrees F.

  2. 2

    Stir in 2 tbsp chili powder, 2 cans canned diced tomatoes, and 2 cans drained canned dark red kidney beans, then simmer for 10 minutes.

  3. 3

    Whisk together 1 cup yellow cornmeal, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter, 1 cup whole milk, and 1 beaten large egg in a bowl until smooth.

  4. 4

    Spread the cornbread batter evenly over the simmered chili in the skillet.

  5. 5

    Bake for 20 minutes until the cornbread topping is golden brown and cooked through.

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Questions

What oven temperature does Cornbread Chili need?

For Cornbread Chili, the oven is set to 400 F (about 205 C) in step 1. The longest stretch at that heat is 20 minutes, in step 5. The target internal temperature is 160 F (about 70 C), given in step 1. A probe thermometer removes the guesswork.

What should Cornbread Chili look like when it is ready?

Go by the cues in the method rather than the clock. Step 5: cook until the cornbread topping is golden brown and cooked through. A reading of 160 F on a thermometer settles it.

Can I use ground turkey instead of ground beef in Cornbread Chili?

Yes. Choose turkey that is not extra-lean and add a tablespoon of oil to the pan, because turkey has less fat and browns more slowly. Season it a little harder than you would beef. As written, the entry for Cornbread Chili uses 1.5 lbs lean ground beef.

Can I make Cornbread Chili less spicy?

Yes. The heat in Cornbread Chili comes from 2 tbsp chili powder. For a milder plate, halve the chili powder; nothing else in the method changes.

Can I make Cornbread Chili dairy-free?

Yes. The dairy in Cornbread Chili is 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted, 1 cup whole milk. Swap the butter for olive oil where it melts, or a plant-based block butter where it is creamed; the milk for unsweetened oat or soy milk. The richness shifts slightly, but the method does not change.

How much protein is in Cornbread Chili?

One serving (the recipe makes 6) has 28 g of protein in about 480 calories, alongside 52 g carbohydrate and 18 g fat, plus 8 g fiber and 820 mg sodium. The figures are estimates computed from the ingredient list. More like it: the high-protein dinner collection.

Serve it with

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