Chili Cornbread Casserole

Name: Chili Cornbread Casserole
Ingredients: Chili; 2 pounds ground chuck, ground turkey or small cubed chuck roast; 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce; 2 cups beef broth (or water); 1 package Carroll Shelby’s Original Texas Chili Kit; Cornbread; 1 (8 oz) package My Favorite Cornbread mix (use the mix but do not follow package instructions); ¼ cup Blue Plate® Mayonnaise; 3 tablespoons butter, melted; 3/4 cup milk; 1 jalapeño, seeds removed and minced; ½ cup grated cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese; Garnishes: sour cream, guacamole, fresh or pickled jalapeños, sliced green onions, chopped cilantro

Yield:

6 to 8 servings

Audrey Desselle—better known as Cookin’ with Cajun—started cooking over open fires in cast iron on Sundays while working pipeline, until his son Hunter convinced him to share it on TikTok. That first video hit 1,000 followers overnight, and now over a million fans tune in for his Cajun cooking. This hearty casserole features spicy Texas-style chili topped with golden cornbread made with his “My Favorite Cornbread” mix and Blue Plate Mayo, which keeps the topping perfectly firm and tender.

Ingredients

Chili

2 pounds ground chuck, ground turkey or small cubed chuck roast
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
2 cups beef broth (or water)
1 package Carroll Shelby’s Original Texas Chili Kit

Cornbread

1 (8 oz) package My Favorite Cornbread mix (use the mix but do not follow package instructions)
¼ cup Blue Plate® Mayonnaise
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup milk
1 jalapeño, seeds removed and minced
½ cup grated cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
Garnishes: sour cream, guacamole, fresh or pickled jalapeños, sliced green onions, chopped cilantro

Directions

Make the chili: Heat oil in an 8-inch cast iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the meat and cook and stir until browned; drain the fat. Add the tomato sauce, broth and spice packets. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. For thicker chili, mix the masa flour with 1/3 cup of water, stir into the chili and simmer for 5 more minutes. Add salt to taste.
Make the cornbread: (Use the packaged dry cornbread mix but do not follow the package instructions for wet ingredients.) Add the cornbread mix to a large bowl. Add the mayonnaise and butter and stir with a spoon. Add the milk and whisk until smooth. Add the jalapeño and cheddar cheese and mix well.
Divide the chili into 6 individual baking dishes or mini skillets (the 6-inch size), about 1 cup of chili per dish. Using a large spoon, scoop the cornbread batter in dollops over the chili.
Bake at 375°F for 15-20 minutes or until the cornbread is golden brown and the chili is hot and bubbly. Serve warm with your favorite garnishes such as sour cream, guacamole, jalapeños, sliced green onions and cilantro.