Crockpot Chili with Sweet Cornbread

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Good old fashioned chili and cornbread: It’s like this combo was MADE for fall, winter, spring, and even summer. This crockpot chili with sweet cornbread (or cornbread muffins!) is a staple that you’ll want to cook up year around.

Chili is one of my favorite dishes. But the catch? I do no enjoy beans. Like at all. So I set out over a decade ago to create an all meat chili that was loaded with ground beef and turkey sausage. Trust me when I say that you won’t even miss the beans, but if they are a dealbreaker for you just toss a can or two off your favorites right into the crockpot! Easy peasy. This meat lovers crockpot chili has been a staple on my rotating menu since before my oldest was born; around eleven years now! And that sweet cornbread ... it is AH-mazing. Buttery, soft, and oh so sweet, it is the perfect compliment to this chili. So what are you waiting for? Whip up this crockpot chili with sweet cornbread for dinner tonight and thank me later. Or now. You’re welcome.

What you’ll need to make this crockpot chili with sweet cornbread:

1 pound organic ground beef

¾ cup chopped white onion, or 1 tablespoon onion powder

1 medium sized chopped green pepper

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

4 packages andouille sausage, sliced (any kind will do, I use all natural andouille turkey sausage by Hillshire Farm}

3 14oz cans of organic fire-roasted diced tomatoes

1 8 oz can of organic tomato sauce 

3 tablespoon chili pepper 

2 tsps cumin 

1 teaspoon salt 

¼ teaspoon pepper 

½ cup finely ground cornmeal

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

½ cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup salted butter, melted 

2 large eggs

1 ¼ cups whole or 2% milk

The Chili

Crockpot dishes are amazing, because there is little prep and a big payoff in the end. Your house smells amazing as everything simmers all day long… and by dinner time, it’s almost as if someone else entirely was in the kitchen cooking all day. WIN. I use this crockpot and I love it because it's cool to the touch on the outside, so if my kids ever happen to touch it by mistake, burns are not a scare.

The prep for this chili is fairly simple. You will brown the beef on the stovetop with the onion or onion powder (medium to high heat is perfect, chop it as it cooks and be sure that it doesn’t get overcooked). Then you will add the diced bell pepper and garlic, cooking for 1 more minute.

Dice your andouille sausages, and toss those into the crockpot with the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and all of those spices. Give it a good mix and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4 hours. 

The Cornbread

This cornbread is so sweet and so simple. No weird ingredients here; just some pantry staples and less than 45 minutes from start to finish (less if you make muffins!). In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the melted butter, eggs, and milk, whisking until just incorporated. If you choose to bake it as one loaf of cornbread (in an 8x8” pan), bake it for 30-35 minutes, or until the edges become slightly golden and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. If you choose to make cornbread muffins, bake them in a standard cupcake / muffin pan (12 slots) for 14-16 minutes or until golden and baked through. These are amazing served warm with cold butter and a drizzle of raw honey.  

The Dietary Substitutions

The chili is already gluten and dairy free, and the cornbread can easily be made this way as well with a few simple substitutions.

Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour is a wonderful all-purpose sub, and it’s cup for cup, so use the same measurements as you would all-purpose flour.

Miyokos Butter is a plant based brick that closely resembles dairy butter not only in its look, but it’s taste as well. It melts, browns, and spreads just like real butter, and truly is a fantastic substitute in this recipe. Use it as a 1:1 ratio sub, same as the flour, so the recipe measurements will not change.

Use your favorite unsweetened plant based milk in place of the dairy milk.

This insanely satisfying meal is sure to please even picky eaters (only one of my children refuses to eat it… those are some good odds 😉), so be sure to let me know if you make it and it’s a hit!

Happy cooking / baking!

XO,

Heather

Need another hearty meal idea? Try my stovetop chicken and wild rice soup!