Jalapeno Cornbread Chili Poke Bake

On the menu tonight – Cornbread Chili Bake!

When you have chili and cornbread in a meal, what invariably happens? You break up the cornbread and mix it in the chili. Why not just go ahead and bake them together? I decided to try the method of poking holes in the cornbread with a wooden spoon, ladling chili on top and then baking.

I wanted a little kick to this dish, so I added jalapenos to the cornbread. You can make your own cornbread or you can use a mix. In this version, I used a mix. BUT, if you want to make your own cornbread, you can try my version. For the chili, I used a really basic recipe – no beans.

It doesn’t really matter if you make the the cornbread or chili first. My recommendation is make the cornbread first then start on the chili. Once the cornbread is finished, let it cool off as the chili simmers. Once the chili is finished, ladle it on top cornbread (after you’ve poked holes in the cornbread) along with a little shredded cheddar cheese. Bake it for about 20 minutes and serve with chopped green onions, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and whatever other toppings you like on your chili.

I look forward to hearing how your version turns out.

Print Recipe

Jalapeno Cornbread Chili Poke Bake

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By Patrick Dulmage – Serves: 8-10

Prep Time: 20 min – Cooking Time: 1 hour

Jalapeno Cornbread Chili Poke Bake

Ingredients

• 1 box 11.5 oz Krusteaz Southern Cornbread mix
• 2-3 tsp chopped jalapenos
• 1/2-1 Vidalia onion - chopped
• 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 Tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp Kosher salt
• 1 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
• 1/2 -1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (leave seeds in if you want it hotter
• 1 cup sour cream (for garnish)
• 1-2 green onions, chopped
• 2-3 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions

1

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees

2

Prepare the cornbread batter using the package or make your own

3

Add the 2-3 tsp chopped jalapeno to the cornbread mixture

4

Bake the cornbread according to package directions

5

Once the cornbread finishes baking, remove and let it cool

6

Pre-heat a large sauce pan over medium-high heat

7

Add the olive oil and then the onions with the chili powder and cumin

8

Add the ground beef along with some Kosher salt and pepper

9

Once the ground beef has browned, add the crushed tomatoes

10

If the chili isn't loose enough, add a little water

11

Bring chili to a boil and then simmer at least 20 minutes

12

Poke holes in the cornbread with the handle of a wooden spoon. You want to evenly space the holes about an inch apart so every bite gets some of that chili

13

Ladle the chili over the cornbread

14

Sprinkle the cheese on top of the chili

15

Bake for about 25 minutes to melt the cheese

16

Pull from the oven and serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of green onions