Chili Cornbread Pot Pies

Hearty beef chili is topped with a slightly sweet homemade cornbread mix, then baked to perfection to make individual Chili Cornbread Pot Pies. Perfect for a cold winter evening, this recipe combines two well-loved chilly weather favorites: chili and cornbread.

My promises to you, my dear readers, for this new year:

To create a good balance of the good-for-you and not-so-good-for-you recipes.

Not to call a not-so-good-for-you recipe “healthy.” (Please someone tell me I’m not the only one who gets annoyed when she sees a recipe for a healthy version of a dessert and clicks over to find it’s actually NOT healthy at all.)

To create some fun, new and exciting recipes.

To continue to tell silly stories and laugh at myself daily.

To have a good time as I create dishes to serve and in life, and to inspire you to have a good time in your kitchen, too!

Love chili? Here are some of our favorites: Texas Chili | Chili Cheese Biscuits | Shiner Bock Chili | Beef and Buffalo Chili

I kiiiiiind of feel like a politician making promises in this here first recipe post of 2016, but I really wanted to get those off my chest, y’all.

I realize not everyone thinks the same way as I do about those aforementioned bullet points, but I hope we can all agree on having enjoying ourselves in life, as well as in the kitchen.

That’s something we should all resolve to do in 2016, right?

Right.

These here individual Chili Cornbread Pot Pies… they’re on the less-than-healthy side of the spectrum, but they feature several vegetables and a tomato-based sauce, so it’s not like this recipe is akin to cake for dinner.

They are a super comforting weeknight meal, and since you make several individual pot pies, this meal can last you a little while, assuming you aren’t feeding a family of six. Our family of three — with my husband and me eating these pot pies and our daughter staring at us in envy because we thought she was too young at the time — enjoyed these for three nights in a row.

The chili has a little kick. The cornbread has a little sweetness. And the balance is absolutely divine, especially since I love to crumble fresh cornbread into my chili whenever given the option.

And while these pot pies might not be the prettiest things you’ve ever seen, I promise they’re delicious. Here’s how you can make your own:

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Yield: 6 servings

Chili Cornbread Pot Pies

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Hearty beef chili is topped with a slightly sweet homemade cornbread mix, then baked to perfection to make individual Chili Cornbread Pot Pies. Perfect for a cold winter evening, this recipe combines two well-loved chilly weather favorites: chili and cornbread.

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Ingredients

Quick Beef Chili

• 1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 heaping teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 lb. ground beef (85% lean)
• 12 oz. beer
• 28 oz. whole peeled tomatoes with their juices
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
• 15 oz. black beans, rinsed and drained

Quick Cornbread Mix

• ½ cup stoneground yellow cornmeal
• ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 4 tablespoons honey
• 1 egg
• ½ cup milk

Instructions

Prepare the Chili

1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. Add the onion, garlic, salt, chili powder and oregano and cook, stirring frequently until softened.
3. Stir in the tomato paste, and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
4. Add the beef, breaking it up with a wooden spook, and cook until the meat loses its raw color.
5. Add the beer and simmer until reduced by half.
6. Add the tomatoes to the chili by mincing them, then adding to the juices to the Dutch oven.
7. Add the broth and the beans to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil.
8. Cook, uncovered, until thickened.

Make the Cornbread Mix

1. In a large glass bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
2. Melt the butter in the microwave. Once melted, measure in the honey. Stir until combined.
3. Add the egg to the mix, breaking the yolk with a fork and beating into the honey/butter combination.
4. Measure in the milk, and stir until well combined.

Make the pot pies

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place individual baking ramekins on a baking sheet.
2. Carefully spoon the warm chili into individual baking ramekins, leaving 1" or so on top to add the cornbread mixture.
3. When all the chili has been measured out, dollop the cornbread on top of the chili in the ramekins. Repeat until the cornbread mixture is evenly distributed.
4. Transfer the baking sheet with the ramekins into the preheated oven.
5. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until the cornbread has browned slightly and cooked through.
6. Enjoy warm!

Notes

These individual pot pies can be made in a large baking dish, too, if you'd rather. The baking time might take a little longer since the cornbread is going to spread over a larger area, so plan to bake 25-30 minutes or a little longer.

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