Hamburger Corn Pone Pie

Today's recipe has been a family favorite for decades. It's the kind of recipe that makes me think of home, and every time I make it I get a little nostalgic for my childhood. It was one of the first recipes I copied from my Mother's recipe filebox when I moved out on my own.

I've made a few minor tweaks to the recipe over the years (mainly I've revved up the spices a little), and the result is below. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we do.


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Hamburger Corn Pone Pie

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon mild chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 15-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and well-drained

Corn Bread Batter:
3/4 cup white flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup corn meal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
2 Tablespoons corn oil/vegetable oil

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400F (~200C). Brown ground beef with onions in a large non-stick pan, drain off as much excess fat as you can.

2) Add seasonings, Worcestershire sauce and tomatoes. Cover and simmer on medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, add kidney beans, stir well, and pour sauce into a large (2 1/2 quart) casserole dish.

3) Now, make the corn bread batter: Sift the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. In a separate medium bowl, combine the eggs, oil and milk. Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients and beat until well mixed, about 1 minute.

4) Finally, gently pour the corn bread batter on top of the sauce, and gently spread with a spatula to make sure the underlying sauce is well covered by the corn bread batter (see photos below). Bake at 400F (200C) for 25 minutes, or until the cornbread is golden brown.




Serves 4-5 as a main dish.
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Recipe Notes:
1) I can't say this is the easiest recipe at Casual Kitchen, but with just a little practice, you'll get it down pat quite easily. The key to the rhythm of this dish is to get your cornbread ingredients lined up and ready while the ground beef and tomatoes are simmering. Then, once the sauce is done, you can whip up the cornbread batter in just a couple of minutes. Before you know it, your dinner is in the oven.

2) A great thing about this recipe is that it microwaves up very nicely the next day. If you live alone or if there are just a couple of members in your household, this is the kind of dish that can keep you well-fed for 2-3 days or more.

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12 comments:

Rebecca said...

Looks delicious. Thanks for the tips.

Joanne said...

There's almost nothing better than a casserole with a layer of corn bread on top. Unless of course that cornbread layer is followed by a layer of ice cream. but that's pushing it. This looks delicious.

Jaime @ Like a Bubbling Brook said...

Yum! It reminds me of one a version that I make, only instead of the cornbread topping I use grated potatoes and cheese.

Here's mine:
http://likeabubblingbrook.blogspot.com/2010/02/chili-pie-with-cheesy-potato-topping.html

Love your blog!

Sara said...

This sounds exactly like something I would like. When I have the chance, I'm making this.

pfendnerwithap said...

Long-time reader, first time commenter. I have to agree, this looks delicious and something right up my boyfriend's alley. With any luck I am going to try it out this weekend - thanks for the inspiration!

wosnes said...

I make this with leftover chili. I've also made the variation with grated potatoes and cheese that Jaime G mentions. They're both very popular in my house.

Diane said...

I had a recipe for corn pone years ago and lost it. And lately I've been wanting to make it again. - this looks great, thanks!

Daniel said...

Happy to hear the responses with this post. This is actually a slightly more complicated recipe than the laughably easy recipes I typically feature here at Casual Kitchen, but it is worth it.

For those of you who try it out, please let me know what you thought of the results!

DK

Karen C said...

Corn Pone Pie has been in my family for generations and it is comfort food. A variation that I make on occasion uses uses jalapeno cornbread batter on top with the cayenne pepper in the meat.

Daniel said...

Karen: that is a spectacular modification. Love it. Thank you for sharing!

Anonymous said...

I have always made mine in a #8 cast iron frying pan...like my grandmother did. Just put it all together and pop it into the oven!

Lars T. said...

That looks very similar to what my mother used to make, but she made Texas cornbread with no flour and no sugar. The rest is very close to the same, although I doubt she used Worcestershire sauce. She also always made it in a cast iron skillet, and that is how I have made it - it was a one-pan meal, which is one of the reasons I also like to make it. I use a can of Rotel tomatoes when I make it, which is about half the size of the 28 oz can of tomatoes. I also used beans that I cook in a pressure cooker rather than canned one, as I always have dried beans on hand.

I wonder if this is a regional recipe. It was very popular in Texas, but I do not know anyone in California who makes it.