This Chili Pie is the ultimate winter comfort food. Top a skillet chili with a thin layer of cornbread for the perfect chili and cornbread combination.
One-pot
Minimal prep
You’ll Learn: How to build deeper flavor with simple layering
Worth It: Chili and cornbread all in one bake
Bonus: Easy to tailor to common diets
Make an easy one-dish weekday dinner
As the days get shorter and the nights get colder, it is understandable to want to spend less time cooking and more time relaxing. This chili pie is a homey, comforting dish that is sure to warm you right up.
It is made with classic chili ingredients that will cook quickly on the stovetop. Then, you add the cornbread on top and bake in the oven.
The cornbread layer may seem thin but it will puff up quickly while it bakes. Let it cool slightly and then you will have the perfect comfort food meal ready to eat. Serve it plain or top it with your favorite chili toppings.
Kitchen tools
- Large oven safe skillet – if you don’t have one you can make the chili base in a pot on the stove and then transfer to a baking dish to bake with the corn bread
- Cutting board and knife
- Measuring cups, measuring spoons, liquid measuring cup
- Cooking utensils like a wooden spoon or spatula
Serving Suggestions
There are so many ways to enjoy this chili pie. Some of my favorite toppings are sour cream, guacamole, salsa, pickled jalapeños, cilantro, and green onions.
You can also put out a bowl of corn chips like fritos alongside when serving. Everyone loves to dip some corn chips in their favorite chili!
If you want to add some extra veggies, serve it alongside a simple salad. I like to make salads with homemade dressings like this Greek Yogurt Salad Dressing for extra flavor!
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Diced onion and bell pepper
- Ground beef
- Chili powder, cumin, salt, and smoked paprika
- Black beans and kidney beans
- Fire roasted diced tomatoes and tomato paste
- Frozen corn
- Vinegar
- Cornbread muffin mix, eggs, milk and cheddar cheese for cornbread topping
Ingredient substitutions
To make this cornbread chili pie you can replace ground beef with ground chicken, or ground turkey. If you would like to make this chili pie vegetarian, you can also use a meatless crumble.
To make this dish gluten free, use a gluten free corn muffin mix in place of a standard one. All of the other ingredients are dairy free.
To make this dish dairy free just swap the milk and cheddar cheese out for a dairy free alternative. There are so many ways to make this chili and cornbread dish according to your preferences!
This dish also works well with additional veggies if you want to add any to the chili portion. You could add things like a finely diced zucchini or a big handful of spinach.
How to make a Chili Pie
Step 1: Make the Chili in the skillet
To start, preheat the oven to 400F. While the oven is preheating, heat oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat.
Then, saute onions and peppers for 5 minutes and push to the side of the pan. Add in the ground beef and cook on the stove until the meat is browned.
Season beef generously with the seasoning mixture while you finish cooking it. Then, pour the rest of the chili ingredients into the skillet and stir to combine everything together.
Bring to a simmer and let it simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 2: Prepare Cornbread Filling
Now it is time to prepare the cornbread topping. Then, mix the cornbread according to the package instructions.
I usually use the Jiffy corn muffin mix and add extra milk and mix in 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.
Step 3: Bake, Cool, and Serve
Next, turn the heat off the chili and spread the cornbread batter evenly over the top. The cornbread will seem like a thin layer, but it will puff up in the oven as it bakes.
Lastly, bake for 20 minutes, until the cornbread is cooked through. Let it cool some, serve, and enjoy!
Storage and Reheating
Allow this chili pie recipe to cool completely. Then, transfer it to the fridge in an airtight container.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat in the oven at 400 for 10 minutes, until warmed through.
Check out these other Chili recipes
If you loved this recipe, try this Crockpot White Chicken Chili next!
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
Email Recipe for Later
Recipe
Chili Pie
Ingredients
chili ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup onion diced
- 1 cup bell peppers diced
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 can 15oz dark kidney beans, drained/rinsed
- 1 can 15oz black beans, drained/rinsed
- 1 can 15oz fire roasted tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 tbsp vinegar
Cornbread Ingredients
- 1 package cornbread mix I like jiffy
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large oven safe skillet over medium heat. Saute onions and peppers for 5 minutes and push to the side. Add in the ground beef and brown. Season beef with seasoning mixture while browning.
- Pour the rest of the chili ingredients into the skillet and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and let it simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Preheat the oven to 400F and prepare cornbread topping. Mix cornbread according to package instructions – I usually do Jiffy corn muffin mix with extra milk and mix in 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.
- Turn the heat off the chili and spread the cornbread batter over the top of it. Cornbread will seem like a thin layer, but it will puff up in the oven.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until cornbread is cooked through. Let it cool some and serve!
Recipe Notes
- You can replace ground beef with ground chicken, ground turkey or a meatless crumble.
- Top chili pie with sour cream, pickled jalapeños, cilantro and green onions
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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