Chili Casserole

Two pounds of browned ground beef, canned tomatoes, corn, black olives, and a generous shake of chili powder get mixed with cornmeal and baked under a blanket of melted cheddar cheese. This is a weeknight casserole that feeds six with almost no fuss.

The cornmeal is the ingredient that ties it all together. Stirred into the meat mixture before baking, it absorbs the tomato juices during the 40-50 minute bake and thickens the filling from a loose chili into a sliceable, scoopable casserole. Without it, you’d have soup under the cheese.

Black olives add a briny, salty bite that cuts through the richness of the beef and cheese. They’re an underrated addition to Tex-Mex casseroles and worth keeping in the pantry for recipes like this.

Kitchen Tips

• Drain the fat thoroughly after browning the beef. Excess grease pools under the cheese and makes the casserole greasy.
• Use canned tomatoes with their juice. The liquid is needed to hydrate the cornmeal during baking.
• Start with 4 teaspoons of chili powder and taste. You can always add more before baking, but you can’t take it back.
• Let the casserole rest 10 minutes after baking so the cornmeal sets fully and the cheese firms up.

Variations

• Add a can of drained kidney beans for a heartier, more traditional chili filling.
• Swap cheddar for pepper jack cheese for a spicier, creamier topping.
• Top with crushed tortilla chips in the last 10 minutes of baking for a crunchy crust.