Folks -
I know that this is a controversial subject, but being winter - its chili time again, and I recently tried a variation that was interesting:

Baked Chili with Cornmeal Crust
Printer version of this recipe

I often cook cornbread to eat with chili - particularly in camp. I got this off the Bisquick.com site. It worked pretty well. I'm doing it for "boat food" on a passage in a big ol' cast iron dutch oven.

The corn bread bakes on top of a slow simmering chili. I modified the recipe slightly to suit my tastes - original ingredients are listed first, my mods in parens:

Ingredients:

Chili:
1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion (yeah, right - 1 medium vidalia, chopped)
    (1 bell pepper, chopped)
    (1 scotch bonnet [habanero] chopped - careful, wash your hands after this - )
1 tablespoon chili powder     (1 1/2 tbsp, approximately
    - use good chili powder the cheap stuff only gives you heartburn - no taste)
1 tablespoon Original Bisquick® mix
3 tablespoons water
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) whole tomatoes, undrained     (1 can Rotel tomatoes w/green chilies)
1 can (15.25 ounces) Green Giant® whole kernel corn, drained     (1 can Green Giant White Shoe Peg corn)     (creole seasoning, oregano to taste)

Cook beef and onion in 2-quart saucepan, stirring frequently,
    until beef is brown and onion is tender; drain.
Mix chili powder, 1 tablespoon Bisquick mix and the water; add to beef mixture.
Stir in tomatoes, corn and salt; break up tomatoes.
Heat to boiling, stirring frequently.

Cornbread:
3/4 cup Original Bisquick® mix
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup milk
1 egg

Heat oven to 350°F.

Pour chili into ungreased square baking dish, 8x8x2 inches, or 2-quart casserole.
Stir cornbread ingredients until blended; pour over beef mixture.
Bake uncovered 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.