No Beans Beef Chili with Cornmeal
Submitted by bugzylynn
No-bean beef chili with cornmeal dumplings simmers slow-cooker style with enchilada sauce, tomatoes, and black olives, then gets crowned with soft cornmeal mounds and melted cheddar. Tamale-pie meets chili in one pot.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
25 minCOOK
10 hrsREADY
11 hrsThis is a crock-pot chili that takes a left turn into tamale-pie territory. The base is straight-ahead beanless chili: ground beef, peppers, onions, and a slug of enchilada sauce that does the work of three spice jars in one go.
The cornmeal step is what sets this apart. A separate batch of polenta-like mush gets cooked stovetop, then dropped by the spoonful onto the simmering chili to form dumplings that absorb the sauce from below while staying tender on top.
A bump up to high heat for the final 25 minutes sets the dumplings and lets the cheddar blanket melt down between them. The black olives bring a briny, salty punch that cuts through the richness, an underused chili move worth keeping.
Pro Tips
- Drain the beef thoroughly. Slow-cooker chili can pool fat at the top if the meat is too fatty going in.
- Whisk the cornmeal into boiling water in a slow stream to avoid lumps.
- Make the cornmeal mounds about a tablespoon each. Larger ones stay gummy inside.
- Hit it with a squeeze of lime and chopped cilantro before serving for brightness.
Variations
Ingredients
Directions
In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef, onion, and green pepper un til the meat turns brown.
Drain fat.
Transfer to Crock-Pot.
Stir in enchilad a sauce, tomato sauce, olives, chili powder, salt, oregano, and cumin.
Cover a nd cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours or on High for 4 to 5 hours.
In a saucepan, bring the 2 cups of water to a boil and gradually stir in the cornmeal.
Reduce heat to low and cook until thick.
Drop the cornmeal by tablespoons onto the chili.
Increase heat to high if cooking on low.
Cover and cook 20 to 25 minutes.
Sprinkle cornmeal with cheese and cook until cheese is melted.
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