Chili cornbread skillet

This recipe is one of those ones I concocted in my sleep…or rather in the middle of the night when I couldn’t sleep and I was pondering what meals to make for the week. Yes, this is how I spend most of my restless nights – meal planning. Might as well be productive dreaming about the things I love!

I was craving my homemade chili, but was inspired to change it up a bit by a picture I saw on social media with a chili made in a cast iron pan and topped with a cornbread crust. Genius! I usually have all of my non-perishable chili ingredients on hand in my pantry, and since Whole Food recently had a sale on ground turkey breast, I stocked up and stashed it in the freezer.

I use my classic, tried and true chili recipe, which you can find HERE, with a few modifications, since all the ingredients I normally throw into my big chili pot wouldn’t fit in my cast iron skillet. The spices, herbs, and flavors are about the same; however, I only use one can of beans and leave out the fire roasted corn, as the cornbread topping satisfies that sweet, corny necessity. I also don’t add as much liquid to the chili, because, again, the cast iron pan doesn’t hold as much as a chili pot. Just as in my original chili recipe, you can interchange either ground turkey or ground chicken, whichever you prefer or happen to pick up at the grocery store.

You can embellish the cornbread topping however your palate desires, perhaps adding in more jalapeno or shredded cheddar, for those of you dairy-eating folks.

I hope you enjoy this dish as much as hubby and I did! While this meal serves 4-5 people, you know in true Kaewsowatana fashion, hubby and I devoured it just the two of us, leaving only a scant amount for leftovers.

Turkey chili cornbread skillet

Serves 4-5

For the chili:
1 lb. ground turkey breast
1 green bell pepper, diced
½ large yellow onion, diced
1 jalapeno, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. smoked paprika
2 tsp. cumin seed, ground
2 tsp. coriander seed, ground
1 tsp. fennel seed, ground
¼ tsp. ground cardamom
2-3 tsp. dried oregano
½-1 tsp. salt (to taste)
1 lime, zest and juice
3 chipotle in adobo peppers, plus extra sauce, chopped up
1 28 oz. can organic fire roasted tomatoes
1 can organic black beans, rinsed and drained
½-1 cup water

For the cornbread topping:
1 ¼ cup cornmeal
¼ cup brown rice flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. salt
1 scallion, minced
½ cup almond milk
½-1 cup water, as needed

For serving:
Chopped fresh cilantro
Chopped scallions
Diced avocado

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. Heat a large, deep-dish cast-iron skillet on the stove. If your cast iron pan is unseasoned, you may need to add some oil to the pan, otherwise, a seasoned pan won’t need oil for this recipe.
3. Add in the diced onion, green bell pepper, garlic, jalapeno and salt to taste. Saute on medium heat and add in the chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, fennel, cardamom, and oregano as the vegetables cook down.
4. Next add in the ground turkey. Use a silicon spoon or wooded spatula to break up the meat and stir everything around.
5. Once all the meat is browned and cooked through, add in the chipotle in adobo peppers, fire roasted tomatoes, and black beans and stir. Season with more salt and chili powder to taste. Add in the lime zest and juice. Bring the chili to a low simmer on the stove, and if the chili begins to look too dry, add ½ to 1 cup of water.
6. While the chili simmers, prepare the cornbread. In a large bowl, mix together the cornmeal, brown rice flour, salt, and baking soda. Add in the dried oregano and scallion, then mix in the almond milk. The mixture will be dry at first, so slowly add the water, only adding in as much as needed until the mixture resembles thick wet sand (not too watery). If you add too much water, you can always add in more brown rice flour to thicken it.
7. Spoon and spread the cornbread mixture over the top of the chili in the cast iron pan and smooth it out all the way to the edges in one even layer. Place the skillet on a sheet pan lined with foil, in case the chili spills over while in the oven. Bake at 400 F for 30-45 minutes, or until the cornbread is golden brown on top and the chili is bubbling.
8. Spoon into bowls and garnish with freshly chopped cilantro, scallions, and avocado. Enjoy!