Corn & Pepper Chili over Cornbread Waffles

Serves 4 · 20 min prep · 40 min cook

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground turkey or beef
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion
• 2 large bell peppers mixed colors
• 1 jalapeño
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1.25 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 14.5 oz diced tomatoes canned
• 15 oz black beans drained
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 lime
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro
• 1 box (about 8.5 oz) cornbread mix
• 1 large egg
• 2/3 cup milk
• 3 tbsp melted butter
• 1 cup shredded cheddar
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• as needed cooking spray

Instructions

1. 1Dice the onion, bell peppers, and jalapeño, and mince the garlic. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown the ground meat, breaking it into crumbles until no pink remains, about 6 to 8 minutes.
2. 2Push meat aside and add onion, peppers, and jalapeño. Cook until vegetables soften and pick up a little color, 5 to 7 minutes, then stir in garlic, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper for 30 seconds until toasty.
3. 3Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute to deepen flavor. Add diced tomatoes, drained black beans, most of the fresh corn, and broth; bring to a lively simmer.
4. 4Reduce heat to medium-low and cook uncovered, stirring now and then, until the chili thickens and looks glossy, 18 to 22 minutes. Finish with a squeeze of lime and chopped cilantro off the heat.
5. 5Meanwhile, stir cornbread mix with egg, milk, melted butter, and the remaining corn kernels until just combined. Preheat the waffle iron to medium and coat with cooking spray.
6. 6Scoop batter onto the iron and cook until the cornbread waffles are deeply golden with crisp edges and a tender center, about 4 to 6 minutes depending on your machine. Hold finished waffles in a warm oven.
7. 7Taste the chili and adjust salt or lime so it tastes bright against the sweet corn. Keep it at a gentle bubble so it stays hot for plating.
8. 8Set a hot cornbread waffle in each shallow bowl, ladle chili generously over the top so it fills the pockets, and finish with shredded cheddar, a dollop of sour cream, and extra cilantro. Serve right away while the waffle still has crunch.