Chili Cornbread Casserole with Vegetables

Ingredients

• Chili:
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• Cornbread:
• 1 ½ cups milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 ½ cups yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 small jalapeno pepper, chopped
• Garnish:
• 1 jalapeno pepper, sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Step 1

Warm some olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until it’s nice and shimmering, about a minute. Toss in the chopped onion, carrot, and bell pepper, and cook them until they’re soft and fragrant, around 8 minutes. Then add the garlic along with all the spices—chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, cinnamon, salt, and pepper—and stir everything together for a couple of minutes until you can really smell those flavors coming alive.

Step 2

Add the diced tomatoes, black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, and corn to the pot. Give it a good stir, then pour in the broth and lime juice. Turn the heat up to high and let it come to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to medium-low and let it simmer uncovered for about half an hour, stirring occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom.

Step 3

While the chili is simmering, preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). In a big bowl, whisk together the milk and egg until smooth. In another bowl, mix the cornmeal, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk until you don’t see any lumps. Stir in the melted butter, then add the chopped jalapeño and mix it all together.

Step 4

When the chili is ready, take the Dutch oven off the stove. Pour the cornbread batter right on top of the chili, then use a spatula to spread it out evenly and cover the chili completely. Pop the Dutch oven into the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the cornbread comes out clean.

Step 5

Let the casserole cool for about 10 minutes before serving. If you like, garnish with some extra sliced jalapeño and fresh cilantro for a little extra kick and color. Enjoy!