Cajun Cornbread Casserole
(from renee0467’s recipe box)
This delicious and spicy cornbread-topped casserole is a complete meal, with grains, beans and vegetables all in one dish. Serve with hot sauce on the table.
Source: NYTimes
Serves 4 peopleCategories: not tried
Ingredients
- 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 celery stalks, minced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (commercial blend, or make your own)
- 1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1 to 2 tablespoons raw sugar (optional)
- 3/4 cup nondairy milk
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
Directions
-
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan or casserole dish.
-
Drain tomato juices into a skillet, and chop tomatoes into smaller pieces. Set chopped tomatoes aside to use in Step 5.
-
Add water as necessary until a thin layer of liquid covers the skillet.
-
Sauté onion, celery, garlic and bell pepper over high heat until onion is translucent, bell pepper slices are tender and all of the water has evaporated, about 4 minutes.
-
Turn off heat, and mix in 1 to 2 tablespoons of Cajun Seasoning, chopped tomatoes and kidney beans, stirring to combine. Set aside.
-
In a small mixing bowl, whisk cornmeal, baking powder, salt and, if desired, additional Cajun Seasoning (several dashes, so the mix looks speckled when stirred). You can also add 1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar if you like a sweet cornbread topping. Then stir in nondairy milk and applesauce. It should be thick but spreadable, like hummus, and not dry.
-
Pour bean mixture into your baking dish, and pat down firmly with a spatula. Spread cornbread mixture on top, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cornbread is a deep golden, cracked and firm to the touch. Allow to set out for 15 minutes before serving.