A hearty chili made with butternut squash and fluffy cornbread come together in this single-skillet meal. Serve with extra sour cream and pickled jalapenos on the side for topping.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 40 min |
| Active: | 50 min |
| Yield: | 4 to 6 servings |
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 40 min |
| Active: | 50 min |
| Yield: | 4 to 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 pound (about 4 cups) store-bought diced butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons chili powder, or to taste
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 3 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
- Two 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes with chiles, drained
- One 14.5-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoons sugar
- 5 ounces (about 6 cups lightly packed) baby spinach
- 3/4 cup fine cornmeal
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- Kosher salt
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup sour cream, plus more for serving
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup shredded Cheddar (about 3 ounces)
- Pickled jalapenos, for serving
Instructions
- For the chili: Heat the oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash and a pinch of salt and black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender and browned in spots, about 8 minutes. Remove the squash from the pan and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic and onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft, about 8 minutes. Add the chili powder (use less if you like milder chili) and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the vegetable stock, tomatoes, beans, sugar and cooked squash and bring to a simmer. Cook until all of the vegetables are tender and the sauce has thickened, about 30 minutes. (If the liquid reduces to less than three-quarters of the way up the sides of the squash, stir in a little water.) Stir in the baby spinach by the handful until all is incorporated and wilted.
- For the cornbread topping: Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Whisk the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, sugar and 1 teaspoon salt together in a medium bowl. Whisk the milk, sour cream and egg together in another bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, whisking until well combined. Stir in the melted butter and Cheddar. Drop spoonfuls of the batter on top of the chili, leaving space in between. (The batter will not completely cover the chili.)
- Bake until the cornbread is golden brown and springs back when touched and the chili is hot and bubbly, about 18 minutes. Serve with more sour cream and pickled jalapenos.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 506 |
| Total Fat | 21 g |
| Saturated Fat | 9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 69 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 12 g |
| Sugar | 18 g |
| Protein | 16 g |
| Cholesterol | 68 mg |
| Sodium | 1294 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 506 |
| Total Fat | 21 g |
| Saturated Fat | 9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 69 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 12 g |
| Sugar | 18 g |
| Protein | 16 g |
| Cholesterol | 68 mg |
| Sodium | 1294 mg |
Reviews
Made this tonight. It’s definitely a keeper. Layers of flavour. Made exactly as the recipe said, and very ample servings. Recommend wholeheartedly!
I made this last night and it turned out absolutely delicious. I tweaked the chili recipe to fit what I had in my pantry and refrigerator. I used a whole butternut squash I stripped it, cut it up in chunks added olive oil and salt and roasted it on 350F for 15 minutes. I cut up an onion collard greens (instead of spinach). I started my Skillet out with some oil on medium high with my onion and two thin sliced carrots. I cook those for about 5 minutes and then added in a little bit more oil and sauteed my chopped greens. When that got going really well I put in the butternut squash from the oven and the thin sliced garlic. After sauteing that for a 5 minutes I put in my seasonings then added the drained kidney beans and a can of low sodium Rotel and two and a half cups of chicken stock. I reduced that for about 10 minutes on medium. While I was doing that my husband prepared the cornbread mix exactly as it said we plopped that on top stuck it in the oven for 15 minutes and it was perfect!
I liked this more than I thought I would. Even my meat eating husband enjoyed this and asked that we add it to our rotting meal schedule. I used a little less liquid and still was good. I like my chili a little more dry than runny.
Excellent recipe. Used some ancho chili powder in addition to the chili for a little extra heat. That was the only modification.