Chili Casserole with Cornbread

Don't be fooled by the pictures, today's recipe is actually a simple one. It's just an integration of 2 of my old dishes: chili and cornbread which are also verrryy easy to make as long as you watch the fire (haha, Denise ;] ). Just pile up the chili onto your casserole dish and pour the cornbread batter around it. If you're really lazy or having problems with the chili, just spread the meat out and pour the batter over it. Either way, you'll impress a few people. This is why i love casseroles; the cheese'll cover whatever mess you made and no one could say no to a topping of perfectly golden baked mozzarella. Except my cheese just looks like spilled glue... thanks to the antique dorm oven of ours; you actually have to push down on the gas knob and light it up w/ a lighter...and better yet, there's REAL fire on the bottom. Mmmhmm, but ah well, that 100-year-old oven is what keeps this blog alive... so i shouldn't be complaining. Anyways, I got this casserole idea from bettycrocker.com, I love that site! If only I could be half as creative as them, sigh.

Chili Casserole with Cornbread
derived from bettycrocker.com
INGREDIENTS:

• Chili con carne (see recipe here)
• Cornbread batter (see recipe here, cut the recipe in half)
  
• 1 cup of cheese, shredded (i used mozzarella)
  
• 2 tablespoons green onions, chopped
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Spoon hot beef mixture onto the center of your casserole dish (drain excess soup) [picture 1].
2. Spoon cornbread batter around the outside edge of your ungreased casserole dish [picture 2].
3. Bake 18 minutes at 400°F.
   
4. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for another 4 - 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and cornbread is golden brown [picture 3].
5. Sprinkle with green onions just before serving.

Chili Casserole with Cornbread