Beef & Cornbread Skillet Pie

This is an old recipe I used to make when I lived in Yellowknife. It is similar to a Shepard’s Pie I suppose, but with a cornbread top instead of mashed potatoes. Beef & Cornbread Skillet Pie

I made this in a cast iron skillet but if you don’t have one, use a skillet that is oven proof or cook the meat in a frying pan, mix in the vegetables and then put everything into a deep casserole dish that will accommodate the recipe.. a pie pan is too shallow, and a square baking pan is too small as well. An  8 x 10 rectangle Pyrex dish will work. Serve with some salsa,& guacamole

NOTE: the topping is thick so if you make this in the skillet, & you don’t want a thick layer of cornbread topping cut the recipe in half, if you are making this in a pyrex baking dish, use the whole recipe.

Here is the recipe

Beef & Cornbread Skillet Pie

1 large onion, chopped

1 lb ground beef

1 tsp chilli powder ***or to your taste

1 tsp salt

pepper

2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables ***you can use any small pre-cooked vegetable you’d like here..corn niblets, peas, etc

Cornbread Topping

2 egg

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 cup water

1/2 cup oil

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 regular size  creamed corn

Method

1. In an oven proof skillet ( if you have one)  or use a regular skillet. Sauté the onion until soft
2. Add the ground beef and brown until  throughly cooked. Break up the meat with your spoon so there aren’t any large chunks of ground beef…
3. Season the meat with the chilli powder, salt & pepper, mix well
4. Add the vegetables & cook until the vegetables have defrosted stirring often. Take off the heat while you make the topping
5. Make the cornbread topping..Beat the eggs, add the cornmeal, water, oil, baking soda and creamed corn. Mix well
6. If you have browned the meat in an oven-proof skillet, spread the meat mixture out evenly in the pan then pour the cornbread topping all over the meat mixture.  If you are not using an oven-proof skillet, remove the meat mixture from the pan & put into a casserole dish, top with the cornbread spreading it out evenly.
7. Bake at 375F for 50 to 60 minutes until the cornbread is cooked