Southern Chili Cornbread Casserole

This Southern Chili Cornbread Casserole is the perfect meal to serve at your next gathering, or it makes for a delicious meal any night of the week. A delightful and flavorful chili with lean ground beef covered with a layer of melted Colby-Jack cheese and topped with cornbread.

One of the neat things I love about this southern Chili Cornbread Casserole is that it is a hit with children and adults alike. I mean, who doesn’t love Chili with cornbread? You can easily make it from scratch or use your leftover Chili to make it as easy as 1-2-3.

 

This Southern Chili Cornbread Casserole recipe has morphed over the years since my son was a  child. It all started because I would have leftovers from making a massive batch of Chili and wanting to eat something different but manageable, using leftovers in the refrigerator.

I initially also used to make my homemade cornbread and top the Southern Chili Cornbread Casserole with that. If you dislike Muffin mix, feel free to use your homemade cornbread. There’s nothing wrong with changing the recipe up if you desire. 

 

 

Look how delicious and hearty this Southern Chili Cornbread Casserole looks! It’s a casserole that you’ll fall in love with over and over this fall. Check out the recipe card below and use the print option to save this fantastic recipe for later use.

 

 

Suggested Equipment for Southern Chili Cornbread Casserole

• Cutting board 
• Sharp kitchen knife 
• Can opener
• Measuring spoons
• Cheese grater
• Metal skillet- large
• Spatula
• Wooden spoon
• Mixing bowl
• 9×13 or larger baking dish
• Oven mitts 

 

 

 

The ingredients for Southern Chili Cornbread Casserole are super simple to find at your local grocery store or market. You probably already have many elements on hand in the pantry and refrigerator. How awesome is it that when you find a recipe, you can already start immediately? Scroll down the page to see the recipe card for the exact measurements of the Southern Chili Cornbread Casserole recipe.

 

 

 

Shopping List: 

• Olive oil
• One pound of lean ground beef
• One green bell pepper
• One small yellow onion
• Two red potatoes
• Four cloves garlic
• One tablespoon of pickled jalapeno peppers + more
• One can of original Ro-tel tomatoes or hot
• One can of Stewed tomatoes and juice of tomatoes
• One can of Dark Kidney beans
• One package of original chili seasoning or hot
• Dried Oregano
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Six ounces of Colby Jack cheese
• Two Packages of  corn muffin mix
• Two eggs
• 2/3 cup whole milk
• Cooking spray

 

Optional Toppings

• Sour cream
• Sliced green onions
• Extra jalapeno peppers

 

 

 

Pro Tips Southern Chili Cornbread Casserole

1. To achieve the Chili Cornbread Casserole’s best flavor results, use quality ingredients such as locally grown, organic, NON-GMO produce, or canned goods.
2. Lean ground beef, such as 93/7, works best for the recipe. You do not have to drain the ground beef when using 93/7. If you use a higher fat content, such as 80/20, add more meat–approximately slightly over a pound to compensate for the shrinkage and oil. Drain all the excess fat from the meat before adding it to the recipe.
3. Do not drain the tomatoes’ juices; the beans and potatoes’ starches should help thicken the chili mixture.
4. Do not skip the step of sauteing the vegetables. It helps add a layer of flavor, and they will be correctly done after baking the Chili Cornbread Casserole.
5. If your chili mixture seems to have too many liquids, spoon the mixture into the pretreated casserole dish with a slotted spoon.
6. Let the Chili Cornbread Casserole cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions about Southern Chili Cornbread Casserole

1. I prefer my Chili with no beans. How can I adapt this recipe? If you prefer a beanless chili, omit the beans and add more meat to the casserole to make it a little thicker.
2. I wouldn’t say I like using corn muffin mix. Can I use my cornbread recipe? Absolutely! Substitute your cornbread recipe and bake until the cornbread is golden brown and thoroughly cooked through.
3. I have leftover Chili. Can I use that instead? Why not? You can substitute your Chili for the recipe. Ensure it is thick enough to hold up to the cheese and cornbread. If needed, drain some of the liquids from the homemade Chili.
4. Is this Southern Chili Cornbread Casserole spicy? No, it is very mild, even with the pickled jalapeno peppers. If necessary, you can omit the jalapeno peppers to ensure they are not too spicy.
5. I prefer my Chili very spicy what can I do to amp up the heat? If you like a more spicy version, substitute Hot Ro-tel tomatoes for the mild,  add more pickled jalapenos or fresh jalapenos with some of the seeds, and use a spicy or hot chili seasoning package in place of the original chili seasoning. If you want it hot, add a little cayenne pepper. Use caution when doing so.
6. I do not have olive oil on hand. Can I use another type of oil? Of course. Just use what you have on hand or prefer. You can even entirely skip the oil if you are using 80/20 beef. I use lean meat and olive oil when browning my ground beef.
7. Green peppers give me horrific heartburn. Is there a substitute for them? Substitute them with a sweet bell pepper like red, yellow, or orange.
8. I do not have red potatoes on hand. Can I have another type of potato? You can use either russet potatoes or gold potatoes. I have used both in the past.
9. I only have light red kidney beans. Are those ok to use in place of dark kidney beans? Yes, I have used both in the past. I use dark because of my personal preferences.
10. I do not have stewed tomatoes. Can I use diced tomatoes in place of them? Yes, I have used organic diced tomatoes in my recipe several times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Method Used for Southern Chili Cornbread Casserole

1.  Add the olive oil to a heated large metal skillet, then add lean ground beef and season with kosher salt and pepper to taste. Brown the ground beef until thoroughly cooked through. Drain excess oils if need be at this time. Reserve the ground beef in another container or dish until needed. *If you are using 80/20 ground beef, omit the olive oil.*
2. Next, add olive oil to the metal skillet and saute the chopped green bell peppers, chopped onions, diced red potatoes,  and garlic until slightly softened—about 5-6 minutes.
3. Add the browned ground beef, diced pickled jalapeno peppers, Ro-Tel tomatoes, stewed tomatoes with their juice, kidney beans, Chili seasoning oregano, kosher salt,  and pepper. Let simmer for about 15 minutes. Carefully taste and season to your liking if needed. Reduce heat to low and cook for 15-30 minutes while making the corn muffin mix.
4. Preheat oven to 375  Degrees.
5. Blend the two packages of corn muffin mix with two eggs and 2/3 cup of milk. Let the muffin mix sit for about 4 minutes.
6. Pretreat a large glass baking dish with cooking spray, then spoon the chili mixture into the sizeable pretreated baking dish–leaving enough room to add the Colby Jack cheese and muffin mix to the top of the casserole dish (9×13) or larger.
7. Once you are finished adding the chili mixture, top it with Colby Jack cheese and then the cornbread muffin mixture, be sure not to overfill the casserole dish.
8. Place the 9×13 baking dish in a 375-degree F preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until the corn muffin mix is golden brown and cooked through.
9. Once done, remove from the oven and rest for about 7-10 minutes in a heat-safe area before serving.

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer: Any changes to the Southern Chili Cornbread Casserole recipe are at your own risk and responsibility. While I support making small changes,  the formula for Southern Chili Cornbread below has been tested several times over the years and is approved by my husband and family.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you enjoyed this recipe, you might like these recipes.

• Country-Style Scalloped Potatoes are the perfect menu item this time of year. Made with Russet potatoes, onions, heavy cream, half and half cream, garlic, and a simple seasoning of nutmeg, kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper, all baked to perfection in a warm cozy oven.
• Cheddar Vegetable Au Gratin is one of those deliciously flavorful cheesy vegetable casseroles that are the perfect side dish for any time of the year — combining Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and tons of creamy cheese sauce, all baked to perfection in one casserole dish.
• Provençal Vegetable Tian is a super simple showstopper you can make to impress your family and friends alike; made with organic garden fresh vegetables such as; zucchini, vibrant yellow squash, tender purple eggplant, onions, and juicy plum tomatoes that have marvelous cheese topping.

 

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