Cajun Cornbread Casserole | by Lindsay Nixon
From Everyday Happy Herbivore
Serves 4
Any excuse to eat cornbread is a good one in my book. This delicious and spicy cornbread-topped
casserole is a complete meal with grains, beans and vegetables all in one dish.
15 oz diced tomatoes (undrained)
1 small onion, diced
2 celery stalks, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 tbsp Cajun seasoning
15 oz kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup cornmeal
1 ½ tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1-2 tbsp raw sugar (optional)
¾ cup nondairy milk
¼ c unsweetened applesauce
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400˚F. Grease a square 8 or 9-inch baking pan or casserole dish.
Drain tomato juices into a skillet and chop tomatoes into smaller pieces, and set aside.
Add water as necessary until a thin layer of liquid covers the skillet.
Sauté onion, celery, garlic and bell peppers over high heat until onions are translucent, bell peppers
are tender and all of the water has evaporated, about 4 minutes.
Turn off heat and mix in 1-2 tbsp Cajun seasoning, tomatoes and kidney beans, stirring to combine,
and set side.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk cornmeal, baking powder, salt and additional Cajun seasoning if
desired (several dashes so the flour looks speckled when stirred). You can also add 1-2 tbsp of sugar
for 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 30-35 minutes, or until the cornbread is a deep golden, cracked and firm to
the touch. Let sit out for about 15 minutes before serving (it continues to firm as it cools).
Serve with hot sauce, such as Tabasco, on the table.
Nutrition Information (per serving):
269 Calories, 1.9g Fat, 54.3g Carbohydrates, 10.9g Fiber, 11.1g Sugars, 11.6g Protein
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