A lot of casual party grub generally can often be classified one of two ways — spicy Tex-Mex or basic comfort. And since there’s already a lot of crossover between those categories, we decided to embrace them and create a party dish that combines the best qualities of both.
We drew our inspiration from shepherd’s pie and a Tex-Mex taco.
The result is a casserole that starts with a layer of chili, then adds a layer of cornbread. After it has baked, the casserole gets finished with all the standard ingredients — guacamole, sour cream, shredded cheese and olives. You could even add some refried beans or shredded lettuce and pico de gallo.
CHILI CORNBREAD PIE
Start to finish: 50 minutes (20 minutes active)
Makes 10 servings
For the chili:
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
16-ounce jar salsa
1 chipotle pepper, minced (from a can of chipotles in adobo)
2 tablespoons adobo sauce (from a can of chipotles in adobo)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt and ground black pepper
For the cornbread:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup corn meal
3 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
3 scallions, sliced
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed (optional)
1/4 cup sliced pickled jalapenos, lightly chopped
For serving:
1/2 cup guacamole
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
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