For months the crock pot my mother gave me has sat lonely and sad, high on a shelf in the kitchen. I guess it just screamed “all day cooking” at me which was interpreted somewhere in my head as “ a lot of work.” Of course this couldn’t be farther from the truth for most crock-pot recipes. They’re actually really convenient. This CrockPot Cornbread Chili Casserole combines two family feel good staples into one simple recipe. The best part of this dish is that it needs minimal supervision so you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time doing whatever you like. This crockpot chili with cornbread on top was adapted from Cooking Light cook book (Amazon affiliate link). There is a good chance this cornbread chili crockpot dinner will become a family favorite!

This recipe was first published April 17, 2014. I have added a recipe card and republished it here to make it easier for my new readers to enjoy.

 CrockPot Cornbread Chili Recipe

You can make this chili and cornbread recipe personalized to fit your mood by using lean ground beef (traditional), lean ground turkey (lighter), or black beans (vegetarian).

When combined, chili and cornbread provide a well-rounded meal with carbohydrates, protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. The combination of protein and fiber in chili, along with the carbohydrates in cornbread, can help you feel full and satisfied after eating. The contrast between the spicy, savory chili and the sweet, moist cornbread creates a delicious and comforting dish.

Chili Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 lb ground turkey (or 1 lb ground beef or 1 can drained pinto beans and black beans)
• 2 celery stalks, sliced thin
• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 1 (16 oz) can red kidney beans, drained
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 (16 oz) can diced tomatoes w/ jalapeños, undrained
• 1 (8 0z) can Mexicorn (optional)
• 3 sprigs of thyme (optional)
• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce (you may use 4 oz of tomato paste as substitute)
• 1.5 tablespoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• one teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp hot sauce (if you like spicy chili, you can double that)

Homemade Cornbread Topping Ingredients:

• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tps baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (or olive oil)
• 1 (8 1/2 oz) can cream-style corn

How To Make Chili With Cornbread Topping

First, lightly grease the crock pot bowl and set on HIGH.

Then, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown your meat and cook beef (or turkey) all the way through. Transfer to your crockpot.

In the crock pot, add onion, bell peppers, celery, can of beans, tomatoes, Mexicorn (optional), tomato sauce, chili seasoning, paprika, thyme (optional), salt, pepper and hot sauce. Combine with ground turkey and mix together well. Cook mixture on HIGH for approximately 2hrs. Or you can cook on LOW for about 4hrs if that timing works better for you. The goal is to get the base fairly thick and not runny so the cornbread mix wont sink down into the chili. (Above picture is chili with turkey meat, below is a chili beans vegetarian option. Just add black beans instead of meat.)

In a large bowl, mix together baking powder, cornmeal, flower, eggs, vegetable oil, and cream corn to form cornbread batter. Gently pour cornbread mixture on top of the chili base. If you prefer to go with an easier option, you can use a corn muffin mix, like Jiffy cornbread mix. It is a delicious sweet cornbread. Just follow the directions on the package and then pour over the chili.

Next, cook on HIGH 1.5-2 hrs or until corn bread is completely cooked. You can make sure the cornbread layer is cooked by using the old toothpick test. Or just dig in and pray it’s done like I do.

Add Slow Cooker Cornbread and Chili Toppings

Finally, dish up your chili and cornbread. Then, garnish it with sour cream, sliced green onions, and shredded cheddar cheese or any other of your favorite chili toppings.

The chili cornbread casserole recipe card below will help provide general guidance for daily values.

Printable Recipe Card For Crockpot Cornbread Chili Casserole