Super Bowls with Cornbread and Chili

by cookingwithauntjuju.com

Two of my favorite chili recipes are  my Black Bean Chili and Chili Michigan Style (see recipes below). I also included my favorite corn bread recipe which I adapted to fit a 6-well jumbo muffin tin. Once again I found a very neat idea from a recent issue of the Food Network Magazine; this time using jumbo sized cornbread muffins to hold your chili. This is a perfect vessel for serving chili for parties, especially with Super Bowl around the corner. My guests will love these 🙂

Should you be interested I have two more chili recipes; White Bean and Chicken and a recipe by a former chef of Oprah’s, Art Smith. I also have been chatting with Lily @ Little Sweet Baker about how good cornbread and chili go together. Check out Lily’s recipe for another great cornbread recipe.

Basically, all you do is make your favorite chili and cornbread or use my recipes. Use a jumbo muffin tin which only makes 6 per cornbread recipe. I wanted to experiment before hand and see how well they held up. About a 1/2-inch thick walls are good as the sauce will start to barely seep through after awhile but the muffins stay intact. These are so good!!!

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Cornbread Muffins for Super Bowls

  • 1 cup buttermilk, warmed in the microwave for about 30 seconds
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp. stone ground cornmeal
  • 2-1/4 cups flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup shortening
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tbsp. lemon zest, minced
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 3/4 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Lightly grease a 6-well jumbo muffin pan.

Mix warmed buttermilk with 1/2 cup cornmeal and set aside.  Whisk together 1 tbsp. cornmeal with the next 4 ingredients and set aside.

Cream butter and shortening with a whisk or use an electric mixer on low speed.  Blend in sugar, zest, eggs and vanilla.  Whisk soaked cornmeal mixture into the batter; then whisk in dry ingredients to partially blend.  Continue mixing with a rubber spatula, make sure all ingredients are incorporated into the batter.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until muffins are golden brown.  The jumbo muffins took the same amount of time in my oven as the regular muffins did.  If the muffins are not done, lower the oven temperature to 350°F and bake until a tester comes out clean.  This has never happened to me. Let them cool completely before slicing off the tops and hollowing out the middle.

Leave in pan and using a long, sharp knife cut off the tops of each muffin. Remove the muffins and carefully hollow out the middle with a paring knife, leaving about 1/2-inch thick shell. Do not throw away all of the leftover cornbread. Some ideas for the leftovers; stuffing, croutons, pudding, casseroles, stratas or salads to give a few suggestions.

When ready to serve, place on a platter, add your chili and the condiments or leave your guests to pick their own. You get not quite a cup of chili so that is a nice portion.

Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.com 

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The first recipe is vegetarian and is full of vegetables and black beans.

Black Bean Chili

  • enough oil to saute the onions and garlic
  • 2 large onions, diced
  • 4 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tbsp. chile powder
  • 2 tbsp. ground cumin
  • 2 tsp. paprika
  • 2 tbsp. oregano
  • 2 tbsp. salt (I cut back the amount)
  • 1 cup green chile peppers (you can roast your own poblanos  or just buy the canned version)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 10 cups diced tomatoes
  • 8 cups tomato juice
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 3 lbs. black beans (washed, cooked and drained, saving liquid – follow the directions on the bag of beans) be sure to cook them long enough

Saute onions in olive oil for about 10 minutes, add the garlic and cook another minute or two.  Add spices and cook another few minutes.  Add honey, tomatoes, tomato juice and molasses;  stir and simmer covered for about 30 minutes.

Puree one pound of the beans in a food processor.   Add cooking liquid if the mixture is too thick.  I probably added about 1/2 to 1 cup of  bean liquid.  Add pureed beans to stockpot and the remaining cooked beans.  Simmer for about 45 minutes or more. Taste to be sure the black beans are cooked enough.

Serve with diced tomatoes, sour cream,  cheese, chopped scallions, jalapeno slices, tortilla chips or anything else that sounds good to you.

Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.com

This is the second recipe I am using for Super Bowl and it is a meat version.

Chili Michigan Style

  • enough olive oil to saute the onions
  • lots of onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 (4 oz.) cans green chilies, chopped (you could add jalapenos too) cook any fresh peppers with the onions
  • 3 lbs. ground chuck (or use turkey or a turkey/beef mixture)
  • 1 lb. hot sausage (I use Bob Evans Zesty Hot pork sausage but chorizo would be delicious)
  • 4 quarts (canned tomatoes – salt added) or 6-7 large cans of San Marzano or Muir Glen tomatoes
  • 1 lb. 12 oz. tomato sauce
  • 8 oz. stewed tomatoes
  • 2 tsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. black pepper
  • 1/8 cup chili powder (or more)
  • 3/4 tsp. sugar
  • 1/8 tsp. tabasco
  • 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 tbsp. paprika
  • kidney beans (optional)

Brown beef and sausage in a large skillet; drain and add to a 12 quart sauce pot.  Saute onions in the same skillet until tender, add garlic and cook another minute.  If you are using any fresh peppers cook them with the onions. Add to beef/sausage mixture. Mix tomatoes and stewed tomatoes in a blender and add to the sauce pot.  Combine the rest of the ingredients and simmer for three hours.

After about an hour I will adjust the seasonings. You will note that I do not add salt as I feel there is enough seasoning with the tomatoes, sausage and other spices.

Serves 8-10

Toppings: sour cream,  sharp cheddar cheese, jalapenos, oyster crackers, green onions, avocado, pumpkin seeds, tortilla chips crumbled, fried onions

Ranch Sour Cream:

  • 1-1/2 cups sour cream
  • 1-1/2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp. chives, chopped
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced
  • kosher salt and black pepper to taste
  • canned fried onions (or make some caramelized onions)

Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.com 

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72 thoughts on “Super Bowls with Cornbread and Chili”

  1. Such a nifty idea Judi, I don’t believe I’ve seen this before. My go-to chili has always been the black bean kind. I’m sure sweetness of the cornbread, the chili really was a nice contrast. You’re all ready for Super Bowl, enjoy! 🙂

    Reply

  2. I love the use of using jumbo muffins as a vessel for the chili. I have been making a lot of chili lately. Just competed in a chili cook off Sunday in Cincinnati. I have never heard of Michigan style chili. Sounds like a good mix. Thanks for sharing Judi.

    Reply

    • Thanks Quinn! I’ve been collecting recipes for Cincinnati style chili for a long time and have yet to make. I’ll take mine with the works – spaghetti, onions… Love to see your recipe. Michigan style is just a name I gave my chili and I have lived in Michigan most of my life 🙂

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    • Thanks Suzanne. Cornbread and chili – yum! Michigan chili is my recipe from way back when and changed throughout the years and of course I live in Michigan that’s why I gave it this name 🙂

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  5. Yum…chili in a cornbread bowl! This is perfect for a party! Great idea to use to the left-over cornbread for croutons 🙂

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  6. Judi, this is my dream food! Love the cornbread cups with the chili. Also I like the addition of molasses in your black bean chili. Will try it next time.

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    • Thanks Sandhya – this was such a great idea and worked perfectly. Just a small cup of chili but so good inside the cornbread. The molasses really gives the chili some depth – do add it to your recipe 🙂

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  7. I have been hitting the chili recipes pretty hard lately. The cornbread cups look adorable and delicious!

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    • Thanks so much – all of these recipes have been previously posted so it was pretty easy to put it together. I made the chili awhile ago and froze; the cornbread I will make fresh and be good to go for one dish on my menu 🙂

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  15. This gives me a good idea!!!! Looking forward for Super Bowl 50 this Sunday!

    Please visit my blog (www.lazymomcooking.wordpress.com) or my Instagram (lazymom_cooking) for some recipe ideas 🙂

    Reply

  18. Wow! What a very nice idea, Aunt Juju! I just love everything- very creative! Now, I probably need to get my share. 😀 Happy FF! x

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  19. What a neat idea! I’m not planning to watch the Super Bowl, but these would be great for dinner! Thanks for the suggestions about what to do with the scooped-out parts, too.

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    • Chili is always a welcome dish this time of year and serving it in the cornbread cups gives you a complete lunch/dinner and maybe with a salad on the side. You can also just nibble on the scooped out parts too 🙂

      Reply

  21. What a wonderful idea! I love chili of all kinds, and we love the chili cook offs so we can try other kinds. Cornbread is a great side and I love that these are the serving vessels. Great for entertaining!

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  22. This is a completely brilliant idea, Judi! It makes it so much easier to serve chill at a party! I can’t wait to try your recipe! Thanks so much for sharing this with us today! 😀

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    • Thanks Caroline – my cornbread is a little sweet with a hint of lemon and goes great with the two different versions of chili I posted. I’m sure any cornbread recipe would work… 🙂

      Reply

  26. Oh no!! I wasn’t going to show your post to my husband… but then I couldn’t help myself. He is already obsessed with bread bowls (which I have only made a couple of times)- but this is GENIUS!! What an idea. 🙂

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  30. Oh…these are awesome!! I LOVE these cornbread cups! They’re perfect for any party. Can’t say enough about how excited I am to try these the next time I make chili! Thanks, Judi! ❤️❤️

    Reply

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  32. So clever Judi! Have made soup bowls, hollowed pumpkin tureens, squash bowls but never thought of corn muffin bowls! Chili looks awesome and so perfect for out cold snap. Are the muffins messy after the first bite?

    Reply

    • Thanks Johanne – the answer is yes and no depending on the chili. My black bean chili no as it is thick; my Chile MI Style is kind of saucy and it was a little messy. These were served on plates with all of the other goodies so silverware was used if needed.

      Reply

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