Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Step 2

Make the chili: In a large (12-inch) oven-safe skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef, onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño, and cook, breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon until it’s no longer pink.

Step 3

Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Mix until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Step 4

Mix in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, black beans, and corn. Stir well and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Remove from the heat.

Step 5

Make the cornbread: While the chili simmers, whisk the cornmeal, flour, sugar (if using), baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

Step 6

In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter until smooth. Add to the dry ingredients and stir gently by hand until just combined.

Step 7

Spoon the cornbread batter over the chili in the skillet. If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, transfer the chili to a lightly greased 9x13-inch baking dish and top with the cornbread batter.

Step 8

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cornbread topping is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes.

Step 9

Serve hot with any desired toppings, and enjoy!