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Easy Slow Cooker Football Chili with Cornbread Topping

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A hearty, set-it-and-forget-it chili with a cornbread topping baked right in the slow cooker. Perfect for game day, this recipe delivers rich, smoky flavor with minimal effort.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 pounds ground beef (80/20)
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cans (15 ounces each) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
  • 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with green chiles
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 cup beef broth, low-sodium
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1 box (8.5 ounces) cornbread mix
  • 1 large egg
  • ⅓ cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon honey

Instructions

  1. Prep your ingredients: dice the onion and bell pepper, mince the garlic, and drain and rinse both cans of beans.
  2. Layer everything in the slow cooker: add ground beef directly to the slow cooker (no need to brown), break it up with a wooden spoon. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, kidney beans, black beans, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes with green chiles, tomato paste, and beef broth. Sprinkle chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, cayenne (if using), salt, and pepper over the top.
  3. Stir everything together until tomato paste is fully incorporated and spices are evenly distributed.
  4. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
  5. About 30 minutes before serving, check chili consistency. If too thick, add a splash of beef broth; if too thin, leave lid off for last 30 minutes. Break up any remaining large chunks of beef.
  6. Prepare cornbread batter: in a small bowl, whisk together cornbread mix, egg, milk, melted butter, cheddar cheese (if using), and honey until just combined (a few lumps are okay).
  7. Spoon cornbread batter over the surface of the chili. Gently spread into an even layer without pressing down.
  8. Place lid on slow cooker, propped slightly ajar with a wooden spoon or folded paper towel. Cook on high for 30-40 minutes, until cornbread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
  9. Rest for 10 minutes with lid off before serving. Scoop into bowls, ensuring each serving gets a piece of cornbread on top.

Notes

For extra-crispy cornbread edges, switch slow cooker to ‘warm’ setting after cornbread is done and let sit uncovered for 10-15 minutes. Chili tastes even better the next day. Freeze chili without cornbread topping for best results.

Nutrition

Keywords: slow cooker chili, football chili, cornbread topping, game day recipe, easy chili, comfort food, one-pot meal

Find it online: https://spoonmira.com/easy-slow-cooker-football-chili-with-cornbread-topping/