Chili Cornbread Casserole

Hearty chili topped with warm cornbread is a meal perfect for a chilly night and these Chili Cornbread Casserole Cups have been a hit with everyone who tries them.

You can use leftover chili to make this Chili Cornbread Casserole or you can stir together a batch of Quick Chili. However you make it, this is a warm and hearty meal. 

These past couple of days have been cool and rainy so I’ve been on a hearty warm soup kick.

You don’t have to twist my arm to make soup, I’ll make it just about any day that isn’t over 90 degrees.

A while back, we had some leftover chili in the refrigerator and I threw a version of this Chili Cornbread Casserole together on a whim.

What To Do With Leftover Chili

Over the past few years, I’ve perfected this chili cornbread casserole and we’ve discovered that the individually portioned cornbread cups are actually our favorite way to make this.

There’s a great balance of cornbread in every bite this way. While my guys love chili so much, they often eat an additional bowl of two of chili with the cornbread cups, it’s still our favorite.

You can make quite a few of the chili cornbread cups this way, or as I’ve learned to do, make 6 cornbread cups – seeing how that’s the number of six-ounce ramekins I own.

Then turn the remaining cornbread batter into muffins or pour additional chili into a casserole dish and top that with scoops of the cornbread mixture.

I’ve used leftover chili to make this recipe and I’ve also thrown together a quick chili recipe and topped it with the homemade cornbread in the recipe below.

You can throw together a batch of Quick Chili in just a few minutes, or use any other chili recipe that you love to make these Chili Cornbread Cups.

Leftover Chili Recipes

This chili cornbread casserole is quickly becoming my favorite thing way to use up leftover chili.

Here are some of my other favorite ways to make use of leftover chili. I’d love to try your favorites too! Let me know in the comments how you like using leftover chili.

• Make Chili Cheese Dogs – Serve warm over hot dogs in buns and top with cheese. This was a pregnancy craving for me.
• Serve over baked potatoes – If I have leftover sloppy joes or chili, I heat them up and serve on top of baked potatoes with cheese and sour cream.
• Use it as a nacho topping – Spread tortilla chips on a large cookie sheet, top with chili and cheese and bake until cheese is melted
• Chili Mac and Cheese – Heat the chili on the stove, throw in some cooked macaroni, add a generous helping of shredded cheese and sour cream and stir until melted.

Chili Cornbread Casserole Recipe

Making chili cornbread casserole is super easy if you have leftover chili. Luckily, if you don’t have leftover chili, you can stir together a batch in just minutes.

The cornbread recipe is a simple one originally from Betty Crocker. Whisk the wet ingredients and gently fold in the dry ingredients.

1. Warm the chili in a pan on the stove until bubbly. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. To make the cornbread, whisk together the milk and egg in a large bowl. Stir in the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the melted butter and stir again to mix throughout.
3. Scoop the warm chili into 6-ounce ramekins or oven-safe dishes on a metal tray. Spoon the cornbread batter over the top.
4. Bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until cornbread is done and springs back when touched. Serve warm with sour cream if desired.

For more great chili-style dinner ideas, add this Hearty Taco Soup to your meal plan. The Big Picnic Taco Salad is always a hit as well.

Mexican Pulled Pork is another family favorite and it requires just a few minutes of effort to start it cooking in the Crock-pot.

{originally published 8/22/18 – recipe notes and photos updated 3/24/21}

If you’re looking for another way to use leftovers, try my leftover beef pot roast pot pie. This cornbread with whipped maple butter is perfect to serve with chili the first time around.

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Country Style Ribs and Beans