Chili Cornbread Casserole

This Chili Cornbread Recipe is made with our ground turkey chili, a layer of grated cheddar cheese and a delicious tender golden buttery cornbread topping. It’s pure comfort food that your whole family will love!

Chili Cornbread Casserole is a great dish to make for family get-togethers, potlucks, and game days and easy weeknight meals.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Quick and Easy.  It’s easy to make and it’s a great meal prep recipe. 
• Great Tasting. This chili and cornbread casserole is loaded with flavor and the cornbread topping is perfectly moist and buttery. 
• Simple Ingredients.  We use budget friendly ingredients for this simple recipe.

Chili Cornbread Casserole Recipe Ingredients

For The Chili. We use about 4 cups of our easy turkey chili for this casserole. This is also a great recipe to use for leftover chili.

• Olive oil. We use olive oil to cook our onions with. 
• Onion. Use yellow onion (aka brown onion) which adds so much flavor to this chili. 
• Bell Pepper. We use a little green bell pepper which adds a nice flavor.
• Seasoning. We use a perfect blend of ground oregano, cumin, Gebhart chili powder and bay leaves.
• Cocoa powder.  This adds a rich flavor to the chili!
• Tomatoes. Use chopped tomatoes (including the juices) and tomato sauce for a delicious rich stew-like base.
• Fire Roasted Chiles. We add 1 4-ounce can of fire roasted diced green chiles (we use Ortega brand).
• Ground Turkey Meat. We use ground turkey meat for this chili.
• Broth.  Just a little chicken broth adds flavor and thins the chili out a bit. If the chili becomes too thick, then add a little more, but not too much or you’ll end up with a soup instead of chili. 
• Beans. You can use pinto beans or kidney beans for this chili.
• Cheese. We layer about 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese over the chili before scooping the cornbread batter over the top.

For The Cornbread Topping.

• Fine cornmeal
• All-purpose flour
• Granulated sugar
• Salt
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Milk
• 2 eggs
• Melted butter

Find printable recipe with the measurements below.

How To Make Chili Casserole With Cornbread

If you’re reheating leftover chili, then heat the chili in a saucepan over medium-low heat until heated through. But if you’re making the chili from scratch, here’s how you’ll make it:

1. Saute Onions and Bell Pepper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium low heat. Add the chopped onion and bell pepper and sauté for about 8 to 10 minutes or until they become soft. Add the garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes.
2. Add Ground Turkey. Add the ground turkey to the Dutch oven and cook for about 5 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to break the meat up into smaller pieces as it cooks.
3. Add Seasoning. Stir in the seasonings.
4. Pour in the Chopped Tomatoes, Sauce and Broth. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, fire roasted chiles, and chicken broth.
5. Simmer.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Place lid on pot. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
6. Stir in Beans.  Add the pinto beans to the pot and cook another 10 minute
7. Add Chili To Baking Dish. Scoop 4 cups of chili into a baking dish.
8. Top With Cheese. Sprinkle grated cheese over the top of the chili.
9. Add Cornbread Topping. Mix together the ingredients for the cornbread topping in a large bowl. You’ll want to mix batter until just combined, being careful not to over-mix. Scoop the cornbread batter over the chili cheese in the baking dish. I use a large ice cream scoop to easily add the batter to the casserole.
10. Bake Casserole. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is golden. You can insert a toothpick into the center of the cornbread topping to check for doneness. If the toothpick comes out clean, then the cornbread is done.

Find printable recipe with the measurements below.

Storing Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If properly stored, leftovers should last 3-5 days. 

Chili And Cornbread Casserole Toppings

• Cheese (Cheddar, Jack Pepper Jack or Mexican blend)
• Avocado slices
• Guacamole
• Pico de Gallo
• Sour cream
• Chopped Onion (green, white or red onions) 
• Jalapeno slices

Serving Suggestions

I like to serve a big green salad with this casserole. Here are a few favorites:

• Garden Salad
• Lemon Arugula Salad
• Spring Mix Salad
• Romaine Salad

More Easy Dinner Recipes

• Ground Turkey Tacos
• Chicken Fajita Casserole
• White Bean Chicken Chili
• Caldo de Pollo
• Baked Chicken Fajita Quesadillas
• Chicken Taco Salad Bowl
• Mexican Shredded Chicken
• Taco Skillet

Continue to Content

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Yield: 8 Servings

Chili Cornbread Casserole

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

This Chili Cornbread Recipe is made with our ground turkey chili, a layer of grated cheddar cheese and a delicious tender golden buttery cornbread topping. It's pure comfort food that your whole family will love!

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 pounds 93% lean ground turkey
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/2 cup bell pepper, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground oregano
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 tablespoons Gebhart chili powder
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (include the juices)
• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 4-ounce can fire roasted diced green chiles (we use Ortega brand)
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 14.5 ounce cans pinto beans (or kidney beans), drained and rinsed
• 2-1/2 teaspoons light brown sugar (optional)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the Cornbread Topping

• 1 cup fine cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium low heat. Add the chopped onion and bell pepper and sauté for about 8 to 10 minutes or until they become soft. Add the garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the ground turkey to the Dutch oven and cook for about 5 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to break the meat up into smaller pieces as it cooks.
3. Stir in the chili seasonings,
4. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, fire roasted chiles, and chicken broth.
5. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Place lid on pot. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
6. Add the pinto beans to the pot and cook another 10 minute
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
8. Lightly oil a 9" x 13" baking dish with oil.
9. Scoop 4 cups of chili into the baking dish.
10. Sprinkle grated cheese over the top of the chili.
11. Mix together the ingredients for the cornbread topping in a large bowl. You'll want to mix batter until just combined, being careful not to over-mix.
12. Scoop the cornbread batter over the chili cheese in the baking dish. I use a large ice cream scoop to easily add the batter to the casserole.
13. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is golden. You can insert a toothpick into the center of the cornbread topping to check for doneness. If the toothpick comes out clean, then the cornbread is done.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 675Total Fat: 34gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 200mgSodium: 1628mgCarbohydrates: 53gFiber: 6gSugar: 11gProtein: 43g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations. See full disclaimer on About page.