Bean & Cornbread Casserole
This is a great, stick-to-your-ribs one-dish supper. Add a salad, if you like, to make it complete. A word to the wise here: feel free to use canned beans. Just put them in a big colander and lightly rinse.
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 garlic clove, minced or put through a press
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican oregano if you can get it; if not, regular oregano is fine)
- 2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
- 3 cups cooked pinto beans, drained
- 3 cups cooked black beans, drained
- 1 4.5-ounce can chopped green chiles, drained
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 cup cream-style corn
- 1-1/3 cups self-rising yellow cornmeal (not cornbread mix)
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chili powder, cumin, sugar, oregano, tomato sauce, pinto beans, black beans, and chiles. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Pour the bean mixture into the dish, cover, and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the buttermilk, egg and corn, stirring well. Add the self-rising cornmeal and stir, just to combine. Pour the cornmeal mixture over the bean mixture in an even layer.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cornbread topping is lightly browned. Serve hot.
- Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Note:
The first time I made this casserole, I had to search the baking aisle for self-rising cornmeal. I had not bought it before. Without reading the label carefully, I was unaware I had bought self-rising cornmeal with buttermilk, so this cornbread got a double dose of buttermilk since the recipe calls for 3/4 cup. The cornbread topping on the casserole, however, turned out both delicious and beautiful despite my error. Since that time, I always make it this way.Total time: 50-55 Min
Recipe editor Patricia Mitchell