The BEST Chili Cornbread Casserole Recipe (Prepped In 10 Minutes)

This chili cornbread casserole recipe is loaded with flavor. It combines perfectly seasoned ground beef with veggies and just the right amount of spice. Then it has a sweet, buttery cornbread topping to finish it all off. It's just so, so good. And the best part is that it takes just 10 minutes to prep!

The Best Chili Cornbread Casserole

Whenever you're craving a hearty, comforting meal, this chili cornbread casserole is just what you need. It combines exactly what the name says, delicious homemade chili with fluffy cornbread to make one incredible casserole.

The chili is made up of ground beef that's cooked in a blend of spices, then mixed with classic chili ingredients like black beans and diced tomatoes. Then, the cornbread on top of the chili creates a dense, moist crust that is just out of this world good. If that's not the perfect comfort food combo, I don't know what is!

This chili cornbread casserole recipe isn't just super tasty though, it's super easy to make too. In fact, just 10 minutes of prep work is all you'll need to invest to make it, and then the oven takes care of the rest.

By the way, while the casserole is baking, you can make an equally tasty side dish to go with it. A few of my favorites to pair with it are these Chinese green beans, these candied carrots, and these candied yams.

Ingredients

This chili cornbread casserole is made with all super simple ingredients. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if you have almost everything you need to make it at home already!

Anyway, here are the ingredients you'll need to make the chili:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• Salt and pepper
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 cup canned black beans

And here's what you'll need to make the cornbread topping:

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder 
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup butter, melted

Lastly, here are some optional toppings:

• Green Onions
• Sour cream
• Cilantro

Not bad, right?

By the way, you can use a lot of these same ingredients from this chili cornbread casserole to make this tamale casserole or Cowboy cornbread casserole. So, if you end up with some extra ingredients, I highly recommend giving one of those a try next!

Ingredient Substitutions and Suggestions

Now, I always make this chili cornbread casserole with the ingredients listed above. But, with that said, you can definitely make some changes, and it'll turn out just as delicious.

For example, you can definitely use Jiffy cornbread mix instead of making the cornbread from scratch if you want the cooking process to go even faster. Just follow the directions on the Jiffy cornbread mix package, and then use the batter to top the casserole.

As for the ground beef, you can substitute it with ground turkey or ground chicken if you're in a pinch. And for the beans, you can also use dark red kidney beans or pinto beans instead of black beans.

Additionally, feel free to use diced tomatoes - or even tomato paste - instead of crushed tomatoes if that's all you have on hand.

By the way, if you want to make a spicy version of this cornbread chili casserole, you can sprinkle in some extra chili powder, a little cayenne pepper, hot sauce, or red pepper flakes into the chili itself.

How To Make Chili Cornbread Casserole

As I mentioned, this chili casserole with cornbread is so easy to make!

All you really have to do is cook the ground beef, mix in the chili ingredients, mix the cornbread ingredients, and then assemble the casserole and let it bake. Trust me, it's even easier than it sounds.

So, without further ado, let's not waste another second and get cooking!

Step 1: Cook the Beef

First things first, you'll want to preheat your oven to 350°F (180ºC) and grease a casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray or a little butter and set it aside for later.

Next, you'll want to put a skillet over medium-high heat and spray it with some cooking spray. Then, you can add the lean ground beef to it along with the onion and cook both together for a few minutes - until the onion is translucent and the beef has browned on all sides.

Once the beef and onion are looking good, you can add the chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper to the skillet and give everything a mix, so the chili seasonings are well incorporated.

Step 2: Make The Chili

Now it's time to make the chili portion of this chili cornbread casserole. So, to make it, you'll want to add the crushed tomatoes, frozen corn, and black beans to the skillet with the beef and onions.

Then, you can cook everything together for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chili is well combined and warmed through.

Step 3: Make The Cornbread Batter

Ok, now it's time to make the other component of this chili cornbread casserole - the cornbread mix.

So, the first thing you'll want to do to make it is add the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda to a large bowl. Then, you'll want to make a well in the center and add the eggs and melted butter to it. Now you can whisk all of these ingredients together with a whisk - or fork - until they all fully combine and a thick cornbread batter forms.

Step 4: Bake The Casserole

Now that everything is prepared, it's time to assemble and bake the casserole!

So, at this point, you'll want to pour all of the homemade chili mixture into the prepared baking dish. Then, you can top it off with the cornbread mixture and evenly spread the cornbread topping over the chili.

Once the casserole is looking good, you can put it in the oven and bake it for about 30-40 minutes - or until the cornbread is golden brown on top.

Finally, after the chili cornbread casserole is baked, you can serve it with sour cream, green onions, cilantro, or anything that you want. Enjoy!

How To Store Chili Cornbread Casserole

This cornbread chili casserole makes about 6 large servings, so it's really the perfect comfort food meal for a big family dinner. Oh, and it tastes great leftover, so don't worry about not finishing it all in one sitting!

Speaking of leftovers, if you have any, you can either put a lid on the baking dish - or you can transfer the leftovers to an airtight container - and store 'em in the fridge for about 3-4 days.

With that said, if you want to store the chili casserole for even longer, you can store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How To Reheat Chili Cornbread Casserole

Once you're ready to enjoy this delicious casserole again, you'll definitely want to reheat it, and the best way to do that is in the oven.

So, to reheat multiple servings of it, simply transfer the leftovers back to a casserole dish - or baking dish - and warm 'em up in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes - or until the chili and cornbread are thoroughly heated.

Alternatively, if you want to reheat a single serving of the casserole, just microwave it in 30-second increments until hot. Usually this takes me about 2-3 minutes.

Wrapping It Up

Well, that's how to make chili cornbread casserole!

It really doesn't get any better than this when you're looking for some comfort food that doubles as a hearty meal or if you're just craving chili and cornbread. I mean, from the flavorful homemade chili to the fluffy and sweet cornbread, the combination of the two is just so, so good. 

Plus, the fact that it's so simple to make is just a bonus! That's why I constantly make this recipe during the chilly months of the year. Honestly, it's kind of become a staple Sunday night dinner at my house, and my family thinks it gets better and better every single time.

Anyway, I hope you and your family like this chili cornbread casserole recipe as much as I/we do.

As always, if you give this recipe a try, leave a comment below and let us know how it went.

More Casserole Recipes

If you're looking for more incredibly easy casserole recipes to make next, you're in luck. We have a ton of them on the blog that you can try next!

Here are some of our most popular ones:

• Chicken cordon bleu casserole
• Hamburger potato casserole
• Chicken pot pie casserole
• Mexican chicken casserole
  
• Enchilada casserole

Also, don't forget to follow us along on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram for even more deliciousness. We post new recipes on them every single day.

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