Cornbread Bean Chilli Pie
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We’ve been trying to use polenta more and came across this awesome cornbread chilli pie in The Art of The Larder cookbook, great served with fresh salad and salsa!
You’ll need saucepan or frying pan and baking dish. You will also need to have pre-soaked and cooked your mixed beans (or if just soaked, add bean cooking time of 90mins instead of 10mins listed below)
Serves 4 people.
Ingredients (when in italics available from the van)
For the chilli
2 tablespoons olive oil (approx 10p)
1 cinnamon stick (approx 30p)
2 bay leaves
2 celery stalks, finely diced
1 green pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (approx 10p)
1 teaspoon ground cumin (approx 8p)
1 400g tin tomatoes
300g mixed beans (£1.65)
dried chillis, flaked to taste
salt
For cornbread top
200g polenta (50p)
1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (approx 3p)
1 teaspoon baking powder (approx 7p)
2 eggs beaten (or use flax or chia eggs)
250ml buttermilk (or use milk or nut/oat milk with teaspoon of vinegar)
salt and pepper to taste
Total cost from Incredible Bulk approx £2.83 / £0.71 pp
Method:
Start with making the chilli, placing oil in pan over moderate heat and fry cinnamon, bay leaves, celery, green pepper and onion until soft, about 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic and ground spices and fry for another couple of minutes.
Add tinned tomatoes and beans, mix and simmer for 10 mins (or longer if beans not cooked).
Add chillis if using and season with salt and cook for further 5 minutes, checking seasoning.
Take pan off heat, mix well and place bean mix into baking dish.
Preheat oven to 180 C
Make the cornbread topping by first adding polenta to dry frying pan over moderate heat and toast for a few minutes until fragrant.
In a bow mix the polenta with buttermilk, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, eggs, salt and pepper to taste.
Pour polenta mix over beans, leaving no gaps.
Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes until cornbread is firm to touch and golden.
Serve with salad and salsa!
Zero Waste Tips
Buy vegetables loose without packaging, if you can’t find specific ones needed substitute for others available.
Recycle your tin cans, or check out these upcycling ideas!