Seriously Mr. Groundhog?!  March starts at the end of this week and it seems that our winter is not letting up.  Not that I mind winter…I ABSOLUTELY LOVE SNOW!  We’ve had the super cold, dreary days but snow has been a rarity this winter.

Like I said, I don’t mind winter, especially since it’s one pot meal time…think beef stew, chicken & dumplings, or pot pies.  One pot meals are usually delicious beyond belief and they’re easy, with minimal cleanup.  That’s a triple win!  Quadruple win, if you consider the leftovers.

Using the pot pie principle, I decided to make chili and then bake it with a cornbread topping.  Served with sour cream, cheese, and green onion, it turned out to be everyone’s new favorite!

Chili Pot Pie
Serves 6-8

1 lb. Ground Beef, I use 85/15
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup cold water
1 pkt. taco seasoning, I used Trader Joes(it’s really spicy)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 10oz. can diced tomatoes with green chilies, I used Rotel
1 15oz. can dark red kidney beans, rinsed
1 tablespoon tomato paste

Cornbread Topping
~Well, it’s confession time…I used a box of Jiffy Cornbread Mix.  Prepare batter as directed and set aside until ready to bake~

Toppings:
shredded cheese, I used sharp cheddar
sour cream
chopped green onions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a heavy, deep, oven-proof pot or skillet thoroughly mix ground beef, chopped onion and water.  Heat on medium/high stirring occasionally to crumble beef.  When beef is cooked through(about 10 minutes) and mixture is boiling, add taco seasoning, dry seasonings, tomato paste, diced tomatoes/chillies, and kidney beans.  Stir mixture to combine and reduce heat to low.  Allow to simmer to 20 minutes.

Turn off heat and carefully spoon cornbread mixture directly onto chili.  Do not stir and don’t worry if there are spaces, the cornbread will spread as it bakes. It’s really hot so “carefully” transfer to oven and bake for 20 minutes, until cornbread topping is golden and lightly browned at edges.  Remove from oven and serve with cheese, sour cream, and green onion.