Transform Jiffy Cornbread Mix Into a Chili Casserole for a Quick Dinner
- Using boxed Jiffy cornbread mix is a quick and easy way to make moist and flavorful cornbread at home.
As an avid home baker, I've tried my hand at plenty of homemade recipes for cornbread, and I can say with confidence that nothing compares to the moist and tender, immaculate flavors that stem from boxed Jiffy cornbread mix. When you need to make a complete dinner , turning to a box of cornbread mix is one of the easiest ways to produce a satisfying side dish .
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If I had to make any criticisms about cornbread (and really, my mind has to work hard to come up with even one), it's precisely that as a society at large, we view the quickbread strictly as a side dish. But nobody puts Baby in a corner . So we shouldn't limit ourselves to just putting a small wedge of cornbread in the corner of the dinner plate, right? Right.
Cornbread should get its chance to be the star of the show. And with a little creative thinking and a box of your favorite cornbread mix, you (yes, you!) can make it happen. To make a cornbread into a full meal, just stuff it with one more store-bought ingredient: canned chili.
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Why Does Adding Chili to Boxed Cornbread Mix Make It Better?
It goes without saying that the main dish that cornbread is most often associated with is chili . The spicy bean stew and the sweet buttery bread are a natural pairing that we all love to chow down on as a comforting winter dinner . By making a chili cornbread casserole, which is a baked dish composed of canned chili topped with boxed cornbread mix, you get to cut down on the time it would take to make the two beloved dishes separately and you don't have to compromise on any of the best parts of either of them.
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Our natural tendency when presented with a bowl of chili and a piece of cornbread is to dip the cornbread into the chili. With this chili cornbread casserole, you don't have to put in the effort to mesh the two together—it comes that way from the start.
Canned chili and boxed cornbread mix tend to be relatively inexpensive, so not only is this baked dish tasty, but it's thrifty to boot.
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How To Make Chili Cornbread Casserole With Boxed Cornbread Mix
This casserole dinner is the ultimate hibernation fare. Here's how to make it. Prepare a box of cornbread mix according to package directions. Next, dump canned chili into a baking dish or pie plate and spread to form an even layer. Finally, top the chili layer with the cornbread batter. Bake until the edges of the cornbread start to brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Enjoy as you would a big bowl of chili, with shredded cheese and a big dollop of sour cream .
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This story was originally published by Parade on Jul 15, 2025, where it first appeared in the Food & Drink section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
