Chili Cornbread Bake

By Valerie's Kitchen

Ingredients

1 pound 93% lean ground turkey (or lean ground beef)
½ cup yellow onion (diced)
½ cup celery (diced)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
15 ounces tomato sauce
16 ounces can chili beans in mild sauce ((like Bush's Chili Beans (Pinto Beans) in Mild Sauce) undrained)
15 ounces cannellini beans or small white beans ( drained)
2 (8.5) ounce packages Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
2 large eggs ((see corn muffin mix package for amounts suggested))
cup milk ((see corn muffin mix package for amounts suggested))
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
Thinly sliced green onion, cilantro, sour cream, hot sauce, tortilla chips

Prep Time15mins
Cook Time45mins
Servings8

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a deep 13- x 9-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.

For the Chili Mixture

Coat a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray and place it over MEDIUM heat. Add the turkey, onion, and celery, and cook, breaking up the turkey with a spoon, until it is cooked through. Drain off any excess grease and return the skillet to the heat. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, undrained chili beans with sauce and drained cannellini beans. Turn the heat down to LOW and let it simmer while preparing the cornbread.

Prepare the Cornbread Batter

Prepare the corn muffin mix in a large bowl with eggs and milk according to the package directions.

Assemble and Bake

Pour the cornbread batter into the prepared baking dish and spoon the chili mixture evenly over the top.

Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes until the edges of the cornbread are nicely browned and the center appears to be set. Remove the dish from the oven and sprinkle with the cheese. Return to the oven and bake 5 to10 minutes more, until the cheese is melted.