Chili Dog Casserole with Cornbread Crust

5 from 1 vote

A zesty and flavorful chili filling made with ground beef and hot dogs is finished with plenty of cheese and a cornbread crust!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword chili cheese dog casserole, chili cheese dog casserole with jiffy mix, chili dog casserole, chili hot dog casserole

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 22

Total Time 42

Servings people

Calories 553kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Preheat oven to 400°F. In a 10-inch oven-proof skillet, cook ground beef over medium-high heat until no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes. Drain off excess grease. Stir in tomato sauce, tomato paste, ketchup, mustard, hot dogs, chili powder, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to low; simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture thickens slightly. Smooth into an even layer in the pan. Sprinkle with half of the cheese.
In a separate bowl, stir together the corn muffin mix, milk, egg, and remaining cheese. Pour over the filling in the skillet. Use a spatula to spread the topping in an even layer, covering and sealing in the meat mixture so that it doesn't bubble through the top.
Bake for about 22 minutes, or until the cornbread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the top of the crust comes out clean.

If you don’t have a cast iron skillet (or other oven-proof skillet), or if you plan to prepare the casserole in advance for freezing, you can assemble the casserole in an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking dish, a deep-dish pie plate, or any other 2-quart casserole dish.

Insert a toothpick in the center of your casserole to make sure that the cornbread crust is completely cooked through before removing the dish from the oven. You shouldn’t see any wet batter on the toothpick.

If the top of your casserole starts to get too dark before the cornbread is cooked through, tent the top of the dish loosely with foil for the remaining baking time.

Cooking for a larger family? Double all of the ingredients and bake the casserole in a 9 x 13-inch dish. You’ll need to increase the total baking time by a few minutes.

Garnish each serving with your favorite chili dog toppings, such as fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped onions, extra grated cheese, sour cream, diced avocado, or sliced black olives.