Most classic Super Bowl party grub generally can be classified one of two ways — spicy Tex-Mex or basic comfort. And since there’s already a lot of crossover between those categories, we decided to embrace them and create a Super Bowl party dish that combines the best qualities of both.
We drew our inspiration from shepherd’s pie and a Tex-Mex taco. The result is a casserole that starts with a layer of chili, then adds a layer of cornbread. After it has baked, the casserole gets finished with all the standard Super Bowl ingredients — guacamole, sour cream, shredded cheese and olives. You could even add some refried beans or shredded lettuce and pico de gallo.
Start to finish: 50 minutes (20 minutes active)
Servings: 10

For the chili:
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
16-ounce jar salsa
1 chipotle pepper, minced (from a can of chipotles in adobo)
2 tablespoons adobo sauce
(from a can of chipotles
in adobo)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt and ground black pepper

For the cornbread:
11/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup corn meal
3 tablespoons sugar
21/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
11/4 cups milk
1 egg
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter,
melted
3 scallions, sliced
1 cup frozen corn kernels,
thawed (optional)
1/4 cup sliced pickled jalapenos, lightly chopped
For serving:
1/2 cup guacamole
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Heat the oven to 400 F. Coat a deep 9-by-9-inch pan with cooking spray.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the beef until browned, about 8 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, salsa, chipotle, adobo, chili powder, cumin and paprika. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then spoon the chili into the bottom of the prepared pan. Set aside.
To make the cornbread topping, in a large bowl stir together the flour, corn meal, sugar, baking powder and salt.
In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and the egg. Add the melted butter, whisking as you add it. Gently stir the liquid mixture into the dry mixture. Fold in the scallions, corn (if using) and jalapenos. Spoon the cornbread mixture over the chili and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
Spoon into bowls and garnish with guacamole, sour cream and shredded cheese.

Nutrition information per serving: 400 calories; 170 calories from fat (43 percent of total calories); 19 g fat (10 g saturated; 0.5 g trans fats); 95 mg cholesterol; 37 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 7 g sugar; 23 g protein; 850 mg sodium.