Dinner

Nigella Cornbread Topped Chilli Con Carne

Nigella Cornbread Topped Chilli Con Carne

This cornbread-topped chili con carne is a comforting dish with rich, spiced beef chili covered in a golden, cheesy cornbread crust. It’s great for feeding a crowd and is packed with bold flavors. Serve it with guacamole, sour cream, and extra cheese for the perfect meal!

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Ingredients Needed:

For the Chilli Con Carne:

  • 4 onions
  • 4 x 400 grams cans of chopped tomatoes
  • 8 tablespoons tomato ketchup
  • 8 tablespoons tomato puree
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 2 x 400 grams cans of kidney beans (drained)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons dried chili flakes (or to taste)
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 5 cardamom pods (bruised)
  • 2 red peppers
  • 1½ kilograms minced beef

For the Cornbread:

  • 1½ teaspoons Maldon sea salt flakes
  • 650 grams cornmeal
  • 4 tablespoons plain flour
  • 6 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 750 millilitres buttermilk
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 150 grams of coarsely grated Cheddar cheese

To Serve:

  • 4 ripe avocados
  • 4 spring onions
  • juice of 2 limes
  • 4 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
  • 500 millilitres sour cream
  • paprika to dust over
  • 350 grams of grated Cheddar cheese

How To Make Cornbread Topped Chilli Con Carne?

  1. Cook the onions and garlic: Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and garlic, cooking until soft and fragrant.
  2. Add the spices: Stir in the chili flakes, coriander, cumin, and crushed cardamom pods, mixing well to release the flavors.
  3. Cook the beef: Add the diced red peppers and cook for a few minutes. Crumble in the minced beef and cook, stirring often, until browned.
  4. Simmer the chili: Pour in the chopped tomatoes, kidney beans, ketchup, tomato purée, and water. Stir well and bring to a boil. Sprinkle in the cocoa powder, mix, and let it simmer partially covered for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally.
  5. Prepare the oven: Preheat the oven to 220°C.
  6. Mix the cornbread batter: In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, eggs, honey, and vegetable oil. Gradually mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until smooth.
  7. Assemble the dish: Transfer the cooked chili into a large ovenproof dish. Pour or spread the cornbread batter on top, covering evenly. Sprinkle-grated Cheddar cheese over the batter.
  8. Bake until golden: Bake for 30 minutes, or until the cornbread is golden and cooked through, and the chili is bubbling underneath. Let it sit for 5 minutes before serving.
  9. Make the toppings: Mash the avocados with spring onions, lime juice, and salt. Stir in most of the chopped coriander. Serve the chili with guacamole, sour cream (sprinkled with paprika), and extra grated Cheddar.
Nigella Cornbread Topped Chilli Con Carne
Nigella Cornbread Topped Chilli Con Carne

Recipe Tips:

  • Brown the beef well: When cooking the minced beef, take your time to brown it properly. This adds a deep, rich flavor to the chili. If you rush this step, the meat can taste bland.
  • Simmer long enough: Let the chili simmer for at least 1½ hours. This helps the flavors blend and makes the meat tender. If you have extra time, simmering for 2 hours makes it even better.
  • Don’t overmix the cornbread batter: Stir the batter just until combined. Overmixing can make the cornbread dense instead of light and fluffy.
  • Preheat the oven properly: Make sure your oven is fully heated before adding the dish. A hot oven helps the cornbread cook evenly and turn golden on top.
  • Let it rest before serving: After baking, let the dish sit for at least 5 minutes before cutting into it. This helps the cornbread set and makes it easier to serve without falling apart.

How To Store & Reheat Leftovers?

  • Refrigerate: Let the Cornbread-Topped Chilli Con Carne cool first. Store the chili and cornbread in separate airtight containers. Keep in the fridge for 1 day.
  • Freeze: Cool the chili before freezing. Store it in a sealed container for up to 3 months.
  • Reheat: Reheat the chilli in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until hot. Warm the cornbread separately in the microwave or eat it at room temperature.

Nutrition Facts:

  • Calories: 450 kcal
  • Total Fat: 18g
  • Saturated Fat: 7g
  • Cholesterol: 85mg
  • Sodium: 500mg
  • Potassium: 700mg
  • Total Carbohydrate: 50g
  • Dietary Fiber: 8g
  • Sugars: 8g
  • Protein: 30g

Try More Nigella  Lawson Recipes:

Nigella Cornbread Topped Chilli Con Carne
Print Recipe

Nigella Cornbread Topped Chilli Con Carne

Author: Hamdi Saidani Cooking Method:Stovetop Cuisine:Mexican Courses:Dinner Recipe Keys: C Cornbread Topped Chilli Con Carne
Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 30 minutesCook time:2 hours Rest time: 5 minutesTotal time:2 hours 35 minutesServings:20 servingsCalories:450 kcal Best Season:Suitable throughout the year

Description

This cornbread-topped chili con carne is a comforting dish with rich, spiced beef chili covered in a golden, cheesy cornbread crust. It’s great for feeding a crowd and is packed with bold flavors. Serve it with guacamole, sour cream, and extra cheese for the perfect meal!

Ingredients

    For the Chilli Con Carne:

    • For the Cornbread:

    • To Serve:

Instructions

  1. Cook the onions and garlic: Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and garlic, cooking until soft and fragrant.
  2. Add the spices: Stir in the chili flakes, coriander, cumin, and crushed cardamom pods, mixing well to release the flavors.
  3. Cook the beef: Add the diced red peppers and cook for a few minutes. Crumble in the minced beef and cook, stirring often, until browned.
  4. Simmer the chili: Pour in the chopped tomatoes, kidney beans, ketchup, tomato purée, and water. Stir well and bring to a boil. Sprinkle in the cocoa powder, mix, and let it simmer partially covered for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally.
  5. Prepare the oven: Preheat the oven to 220°C.
  6. Mix the cornbread batter: In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, eggs, honey, and vegetable oil. Gradually mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until smooth.
  7. Assemble the dish: Transfer the cooked chili into a large ovenproof dish. Pour or spread the cornbread batter on top, covering evenly. Sprinkle-grated Cheddar cheese over the batter.
  8. Bake until golden: Bake for 30 minutes, or until the cornbread is golden and cooked through, and the chili is bubbling underneath. Let it sit for 5 minutes before serving.
  9. Make the toppings: Mash the avocados with spring onions, lime juice, and salt. Stir in most of the chopped coriander. Serve the chili with guacamole, sour cream (sprinkled with paprika), and extra grated Cheddar.

Notes

  • Brown the beef well: When cooking the minced beef, take your time to brown it properly. This adds a deep, rich flavor to the chili. If you rush this step, the meat can taste bland.
  • Simmer long enough: Let the chili simmer for at least 1½ hours. This helps the flavors blend and makes the meat tender. If you have extra time, simmering for 2 hours makes it even better.
  • Don’t overmix the cornbread batter: Stir the batter just until combined. Overmixing can make the cornbread dense instead of light and fluffy.
  • Preheat the oven properly: Make sure your oven is fully heated before adding the dish. A hot oven helps the cornbread cook evenly and turn golden on top.
  • Let it rest before serving: After baking, let the dish sit for at least 5 minutes before cutting into it. This helps the cornbread set and makes it easier to serve without falling apart.
Keywords:Nigella Cornbread Topped Chilli Con Carne

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