Chessy's Favorite Casserole

Time :55

Yield :8 servings

Recipe Background

As a vegan, Chessy is constantly working on dishes that everyone can enjoy together, whether they are dairy-free, gluten-free, vegetarian or just a lover of good food. Chessy's Favorite Casserole is the culmination of her culinary explorations, and wow! It will blow you away! A spicy, hearty, and herbaceous bean chili forms the filling while a gluten-free, maple-infused, and crumbly cornbread forms the crust; it even has a little intriguing heat to it thanks to some bright diced jalapeño. In other words, Chessy's Favorite Casserole is the best of Tex-Mex flavors made so that anyone can enjoy it anytime! The best dinners are those that bring everyone to the table and smiles to everyone's faces, and this is one of those!

Ingredients

For the chili:

2 1/4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup quinoa uncooked
1 (15-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup red bell pepper diced
1/4 cup green bell pepper diced
1/2 red onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano

For the cornbread:

1 1/4 cups vegan milk
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
1 1/4 cups fine grain cornmeal
1 cup gluten-free baking flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 egg replacer
1/4 cup vegan butter or olive oil
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 jalapeño de-seeded and finely diced, plus slices for topping
vegan sour cream optional, for topping
vegan cheese optional, for topping

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In an oven-safe skillet or a pan over medium-high heat, add the vegetable broth, the quinoa, the black beans, the tomatoes, the red bell pepper, the green bell pepper, the red onion, the garlic, the chili powder, the cayenne pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the sea salt, the black pepper, the cumin, and the oregano, stirring to completely combine it.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer.
Cover slightly and let the chili cook down until the quinoa is fully cooked, about 20-25 minutes.
Transfer the skillet from the heat and stir again, checking to make sure the quinoa is fully cooked.
Spread the chili into a flat layer.
Mix the vegan milk and the apple cider vinegar together and allow to sit undisturbed for 3 minutes. This will create a vegan buttermilk.
In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, the gluten-free flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the remaining sea salt together.
Add the egg replacer, the vegan butter, the sugar, and the maple syrup to the vegan buttermilk, mixing it slowly to incorporate and then slightly faster to make sure everything is properly mixed.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until fully combined and smooth. Since you are using gluten-free flour, overmixing is not as much of a concern as when using traditional flour. The batter should be thick but pourable.
Stir in the diced jalapeno.
Pour the batter over the chili in the skillet, smoothing it out into an even layer or dolloping it like biscuits.
Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean all the way and the batter is fully cooked through, about 30-35 minutes.
Move the skillet to a wire rack and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes.
Slice and serve with the vegan sour cream and the vegan cheese!