Veggie Chili Cornbread Skillet
A single-skillet vegetarian chili crowned with scoops of cornbread batter and baked until golden—hearty, colorful, and built for a cozy night in.
Ingredients
Steps
- Heat the oven to 425°F.
- For the chili: Warm the oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the butternut squash and peppers and cook about 5 minutes more. Stir in the chili powder, salt, oregano, cumin, and black pepper to taste. Cook until the spices smell fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes more. Pour in the salsa, black and pinto beans, and tomatoes, scraping up browned bits from the skillet bottom. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 30 to 45 minutes.
- For the cornbread: In a large bowl, whisk cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center and add the melted butter, egg, and buttermilk. Whisk just until combined, without overmixing. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl so everything is incorporated.
- Scoop tablespoonfuls or ice-cream scoops of cornbread batter over the chili in the skillet. Bake until the cornbread is golden on top, 25 to 30 minutes.
Chili
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 cups medium-diced butternut squash
- 1 small green bell pepper, diced
- 1 small red bell pepper, diced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- Freshly ground black pepper
- One 16-ounce jar salsa
- One 15.5-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- One 15.5-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup vegetable stock
Cornbread
- 1 cup (180 grams) fine-ground yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) buttermilk