Chili Cornbread Casserole

This vegan chili cornbread casserole is one of the BEST casseroles ever! The secret? Sweet, crispy cornbread baked on top of delicious chili.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 1 5

Total Time 1 30

Servings servings

Calories 361

1 ¼ cups vegan milk 300 ml
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar or white vinegar, 30 ml
1 ¼ cups fine grain cornmeal 150 g
1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour 148 g
½ teaspoon baking soda 3 g
2 teaspoons baking powder 9.6 g
¾ teaspoon sea salt 4.5 g
1 vegan egg substitute I use Bob’s Red Mill or ¼ cup pumpkin puree or other egg substitute
¼ cup vegan butter 44 g or olive oil - butter adds more flavour
3 tablespoons sugar cane sugar or coconut sugar or organic brown sugar
3 tablespoons maple syrup 69 g
1 jalapeño de-seeded and finely diced, plus slices for the tops
vegan sour cream optional topping
vegan cheese optional topping

In a skillet/pan over medium heat, heat the oil. Add in the onion, red bell pepper and green bell peppers. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions are golden and fragrant. Stir in the garlic for about 30 seconds.
Add in the chili powder, cayenne powder, sea salt, ground black pepper, ground cumin and dried oregano. Stir to combine.
Add in the black beans, tomatoes and stir to combine again for about 2 minutes. Pour in all the uncooked quinoa and veggie broth.
Bring to a boil, and then lower to a simmer. Cover slightly, and let the chili cook down for 20-25 minutes. Stir every now and then. See my note in the notes section about the quinoa. Prep the cornbread while it simmers.
Remove from heat. Stir again, ensuring the quinoa is fully cooked through. Spread the chili into a flat layer and proceed to the cornbread topping.

Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C.
Mix the vegan milk and apple cider vinegar together. Let sit for at least 3 minutes to create a vegan buttermilk.
In a large bowl, mix the cornmeal, Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, baking soda, baking powder and sea salt together. Set aside.
In the same container as the vegan milk mixture (just to avoid using extra containers), mix all the wet ingredients (egg replacer, vegan butter, sugar and maple syrup) together slowly to incorporate, then a bit quicker to mix together properly. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until fully combined & smooth. The batter should be thick but pourable.
Stir in the diced jalapeño.
Pour the batter over the chili in the skillet/casserole dish and using a spatula, smooth down the top into an even layer. Or if you want you can dollop it into like biscuits.

Put the dish into the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean all the way and the batter is fully cooked through.
Move the pan to a wire rack and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes, preferably until cool. Slice into 8-9 servings, spoon out and enjoy! Serve with some vegan sour cream, vegan cheese and some more heat if desired, such as hot sauce or jalapeño slices!

**If you want a more liquid-y chili, minus 1/4 cup uncooked quinoa from the chili. I wanted mine very hearty and thick, so that’s why I added an extra 1/4 cup quinoa.
The prep time is so “short” because you can prep the cornbread topping while the chili is being made!
Refrigerator: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezer: You can also freeze this chili cornbread casserole for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat as desired.
To reheat: I found my favourite way to reheat this was in a toaster oven, on about 450ºF for 5 to 10 minutes. Or, in the microwave for about 2 minutes. The cornbread actually doesn’t get soggy or dry in the microwave, I just prefer the oven method more!