Hearty, savory chili with beans and lentils topped with a golden, crumbly cornbread layer that bakes crisp at the edges and soft inside, perfect scooped warm for dinner.
Scoopable Chili Pie with a Golden Cornbread Crust
A roomy, budget-friendly weeknight dish that stretches a little ground beef into a hearty spoonable chili topped with a crumbly, golden cornbread layer.
This is the kind of dinner that arrives at the table steamy and unapologetic: rich, tomato-forward chili studded with kidney beans and canned brown lentils, all beneath a billowy cornbread topping that browns into crisp, buttery edges. Each spoonful gives you a warm, saucy base with the pleasant grit of cornmeal and the soft crumb of a quick bread—comfort that’s both filling and textural.
What makes it economical is deliberate: a modest amount of ground beef blooms with onion, garlic, tomato paste and warming spices, then gets bulked up by beans and lentils so one pan feeds four without feeling skimpy. Using canned lentils and tomatoes keeps the timing short and the flavor deep; cooking the spice and paste together first unlocks that savory backbone so the whole pie tastes richer than its parts.
The cornbread “crumble” is forgiving and fast—yellow cornmeal and a touch of flour produce a topping that will puff and set while the chili simmers, then crisp beautifully around the edges in the oven while staying soft in the middle. That contrast—the saucy, smoky chili against a slightly crunchy, tender top—is what makes scooping each portion so satisfying.
Practical bonus: assemble ahead if you like and pop it in the oven when you’re ready, or bake and reheat leftovers for an even better lunch the next day. It fits a 9-inch pie plate or an 8×8 pan, stores well in the fridge, and freezes nicely, which is exactly the kind of weeknight resilience a busy kitchen needs.
Ingredients
How to Make Stretch Cornbread Crumble Chili Pie
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly oil a 9-inch pie dish or an 8x8-inch baking dish.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add ground beef and cook, breaking it up, until browned, about 6–8 minutes.
- Add chopped onion and minced garlic to the pan and cook until softened, about 4 minutes; stir in chili powder, cumin, and tomato paste and cook 1 minute to bloom the spices.
- Stir in diced tomatoes (with juices), drained kidney beans, drained lentils, and broth; season with kosher salt and black pepper and simmer uncovered 10–12 minutes until slightly thickened.
- While the chili simmers, make the cornbread crumble: whisk cornmeal, flour, and baking powder in a bowl, then add egg, milk, and melted butter and stir to a thick batter.
- Spread the chili into the prepared baking dish, scatter half the shredded cheddar over it, then drop spoonfuls of the cornbread batter over the top and use a fork or your fingers to break it into a rough, even crumble.
- Bake 18–22 minutes at 400°F until the cornbread topping is golden and set and cheese is melted; if you want a drier crumble, bake 2–4 minutes longer.
- Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes before serving so the topping firms; serve hot, scooping chili and cornbread together, garnished with extra cheese or chopped scallions if desired.
Recipe Card
Stretch Cornbread Crumble Chili Pie
Hearty, savory chili with beans and lentils topped with a golden, crumbly cornbread layer that bakes crisp at the edges and soft inside, perfect scooped warm for dinner.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly oil a 9-inch pie dish or an 8x8-inch baking dish.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add ground beef and cook, breaking it up, until browned, about 6–8 minutes.
- Add chopped onion and minced garlic to the pan and cook until softened, about 4 minutes; stir in chili powder, cumin, and tomato paste and cook 1 minute to bloom the spices.
- Stir in diced tomatoes (with juices), drained kidney beans, drained lentils, and broth; season with kosher salt and black pepper and simmer uncovered 10–12 minutes until slightly thickened.
- While the chili simmers, make the cornbread crumble: whisk cornmeal, flour, and baking powder in a bowl, then add egg, milk, and melted butter and stir to a thick batter.
- Spread the chili into the prepared baking dish, scatter half the shredded cheddar over it, then drop spoonfuls of the cornbread batter over the top and use a fork or your fingers to break it into a rough, even crumble.
- Bake 18–22 minutes at 400°F until the cornbread topping is golden and set and cheese is melted; if you want a drier crumble, bake 2–4 minutes longer.
- Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes before serving so the topping firms; serve hot, scooping chili and cornbread together, garnished with extra cheese or chopped scallions if desired.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 72
- Saturated Fat
- 18
- Sodium
- 1100
- Fiber
- 13
- Unsaturated Fat
- 25
- Protein
- 42
- Fat
- 44
- Cholesterol
- 150
- Trans Fat
- 0.5
- Calories
- 910
- Sugar
- 6