Several months ago a friend gifted me Reese Witherspoon’s lifestyle book, Whiskey in a Teacup. I’ve been a fan of Reese since middle school (“The Man in the Moon” was a sleepover staple for me) and, like a fine wine, she gets better with age. Her book is full of pretty pictures, delicious recipes, and snippets of life in the south.

Of all of the recipes in the book, my favorite is definitely Reese’s Cornbread Chili Pie. This is a one dish meal for me since I use a cast iron skillet, which automatically puts it near the top of my weeknight dinner list. It’s quick and delicious. I usually serve with a side of fruit (for the kids) and a salad (hubs and me) and it’s one of the few meals everyone in my family is happily willing to eat. Give it a whirl!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork
• 2 (1.75 ounces) packets chili seasoning
• 1 (14 ounces) can diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 (8.5 ounces) boxes Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 cup of frozen corn
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 (16 ounces) can kidney beans, drained

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375˚
2. In a 9-10 inch cast iron skillet or sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
3. Add the onion and sauté for 1 minute before adding the garlic.
4. Sauté another minute and add the ground beef and pork, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon and stirring until the meat is brown.
5. Drain off excess fat and stir in the chili seasoning, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste.
6. Mix over medium heat for one minute, then pour in chicken broth.
7. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. While the meat simmers, make the cornbread mixture.
9. Stir together Jiffy mix, eggs, and milk in a mixing bowl until just combined (do not over mix).
10. Stir 1/2 cup of the frozen corn and the cheese into the cornbread batter and set aside.
11. Stir remaining 1/2 cup corn, and the kidney beans into the meat mixture.
12. If using a baking or casserole dish, transfer the meat mixture from the stove top to the baking dish.
13. Pour the cornbread batter over the meat mixture and bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes, until golden brown on top.
14. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Side note: I have made this with half ground beef (sirloin) and half ground turkey breast in an effort to cut calories. Although not as flavorful as the original recipe, it was still delicious.

I hope your Tuesday is off to a great start. I’m so excited to have my site issues almost totally repaired! Check back as I get back to posting on a regular basis. I’ve got quite a few monogram related posts in the works!