Lentil Chili Pie With Cornbread Crust - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes (or to taste)
5 cups chicken broth
2 cups lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 (14 ounce) can whole tomatoes, chopped, including juice
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
Corn Bread Crust
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup stone-ground white cornmeal or 1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preparation

To make the crust: add flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a mixing bowl; stir to blend.
In another small bowl, stir together the egg, milk, and oil; mix into the dry ingredients just until combined; cover and chill.
To make the chili: In a large pot, cook the onion in oil for 10 minutes over low heat.
Add in garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, thyme, paprika, and pepper flakes; cook/stir for 3 minutes.
Stir in chicken broth, lentils, and tomatoes; simmer 40 minutes; add up to 1 cup water if mixture becomes dry.
Add in bell pepper, celery; simmer 15 minutes longer (at this point the chili can be cooled and refrigerated; recommended because it becomes more flavorful).
Turn chili into a 3-quart deep casserole (reheat first if refrigerated).
Preheat the oven to 400\u00b0; drop the Corn Bread Crust batter by spoonfuls over the chili.
Bake for 30 minutes or until a pick inserted into the corn bread comes out clean.