Mexican Chili Cornbread Casserole

What happens when the flavors of chili, taco & southern cornbread decide to come together? You have this amazing mix of savory & sweet flavors all in one bite! This week, my cooking class made what I call "Mexican Chili Cornbread Casserole". This all-in-one dish is easy to bring together. While I came up with a recipe to follow, you can easily tweak the ingredients to suit your taste buds.

1 1/3lb of ground meat (this amount is flexible a 1/3lb either way and can be any combo of ground meats, I used beef)
1/2c diced onion
1 small pepper diced
1-2 garlic cloves minced
16oz diced tomato, canned or fresh
6oz tomato paste
1 cup corn
1/2- 1 cup black beans (use whatever amount you prefer)
2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1/4- 1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes (optional if you like a little spice, we do!)
1/2c shredded cheese
1 box of cornbread mix (like jiffy) plus the ingredients to mix it up (which usually consist of egg & milk)

Saute ground meat, onion, pepper & garlic together. Drain fat. Add in the diced tomato, tomato paste, corn, black beans, chili powder, cumin, pepper, salt & chili flakes. Mix well & cook on low for about 10 minutes. Place into an 8x8 dish. If you like cheese, you could add some on top of this.

Mix cornbread according to directions. Pour on top of meat mixture & spread evenly. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes uncovered until cornbread is cooked. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of cheese on top & place back in oven until melted. If you desire an extra side, serve with some cooked rice.

Printable Recipe Here