This blog post is sponsored post by Bob’s Red Mill. Thanks so much for supporting the brands who support Jessica in the Kitchen! All texts and opinions are my own. One of my favourite dishes, especially around this time of year, is chili. I love love chili. I love it’s comforting nature. The complex flavours developed from such simple ingredients and how warm and hearty it is. Most of all, I love how it’s an idea meal prep dish that serves so many other dishes. You can’t go wrong with chili. One of my favourite ways to serve chili is with cornbread. Man, cornbread! What a treat. It soaks up the chili and complements it so well. I just whipped up a brand new simple basics cornbread recipe for the blog and thought: wait, why have I never chili cornbread casserole?
What is Chili Cornbread Casserole
It’s exactly what it sounds like. Chili cornbread casserole takes the best of two worlds and combines them. Instead of serving your cornbread alongside your chili, you make it together. You might be wondering, okay, what’s the flavour difference? Friends, it’s a phenomenal flavour difference. The cornbread on top ends up soaking up some of the chili liquid, making it even more packed with flavour. It’s even better than I could’ve possibly thought.
How to Make Chili Cornbread Casserole
Making this chili cornbread casserole is so simple. First, you make your chili. I opted for using one of my favourite slow cooker chilis and turning it into a stovetop version. The only difference I made was adding 1/4 cup more quinoa to this recipe. You do not have to do this, btw. I was just looking for an all-round hearty dish. Then, you make the cornbread batter and spoon it on top. I opted for my all time favourite gluten free flour to make this – Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. If you’re a regular here, you know how much I love Bob’s! It’s always amazing seeing how many of you have also fallen in love with Bob’s Red Mill products (including my family) because I talk about them SO much!! It’s what I used to make my Best Vegan Cornbread, and my go to for all my baked goods. It works so well here and lends a nice and tender side to the cornbread. I highly recommending grabbing a bag (or two) this holiday season, especially since you’ll probably be baking a lot like me! I always have at least two bags of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour on hand, too. It’s smooth, affordable, lasts for many recipes (and will go to good use so no waste), and works every single time for my recipes. It pairs perfectly with the cornmeal in this recipe and makes such an incredible topping. After that, you bake! This makes a fair amount of cornbread topping, so I bake mine for about 25-30 minutes to get it cooked all the way through. Please know that you could easily half the cornbread topping if you only want a little bit on top, then just wait your topping for when it’s baked through. Long story short, this Chili Cornbread Casserole completely exceeded my expectations. I wasn’t joking when I said it’s my favourite thing I’ve made all season! I loved topping mine with some vegan sour cream (recipe coming soon!), vegan cheese and some hot sauce.
How to Store & Reheat this Casserole
Since I know it’s a big batch, I found my favourite way to reheat this was in like a toaster oven, on about 45o degrees F for about 5 to 10 minutes. Or, in the microwave for about 2 minutes. The cornbread actually doesn’t get soggy or dry in the microwave, I just prefer the oven method more! To store it, I just cut it into large squares to fit our meal prep containers perfectly, and stored it in the fridge. I hope you dig into this treat and enjoy it so much friends!
