037 / 75 · Chicken, Turkey and Fish Suppers

Turkey Mushroom Cornbread Bake

One 9×13 in (23×33 cm) baking dish, at least 3.5 qt/3.3 L;6 main-dish portions · Active 35 min · Total 1 hr 40 min

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A thin cornbread top bakes over a hot turkey, mushroom and green-bean filling. The tomato base is reduced before the batter is added, keeping the bread from sinking into a watery sauce. This is a savory cornbread roof, mixed just before assembly and checked underneath as well as on its browned surface.

Jump to ingredients

Drawn turkey and mushroom hotdish beneath a thin golden cornbread top.

Cornmeal is not cornstarch

Use fine yellow cornmeal and plain all-purpose flour. In some shops the word cornflour means a very fine white thickening starch, which is not the ingredient for this batter. Avoid a pre-sweetened cornbread mix unless using a different recipe written for it. Stir the dry ingredients together first, then add milk, egg and oil only when the filling is nearly ready. The baking powder begins working when wet, so there is no benefit in leaving the batter waiting while mushrooms still release water.

The filling supports the top

Brown ground turkey to 165°F, then remove it while mushrooms get a clear hot surface. Once their liquid evaporates, combine with softened onion, tomatoes and green beans. The beans need their package cooking stage before the batter goes on. A spoon drawn through the sauce should leave a brief track; a watery ring means it needs a little more uncovered simmering. Spread the hot filling evenly and spoon the batter across in several patches, joining them gently rather than pouring one heavy mound into the center.

Check two kinds of doneness

A skewer in the cornbread should come out without wet batter, and its underside should be set where it meets the filling. The whole casserole also needs 165°F in several center points. One check does not replace the other. If the top colors early, cover it loosely and keep cooking. After a short rest, cut the roof into six areas before lifting through the filling with a spoon. That makes it easier to share the cornbread fairly without dragging one large crust off the rest of the pan.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil (15 ml), for filling
  • 1 lb 5 oz ground turkey (600 g)
  • 10 oz mushrooms, sliced (280 g)
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped (180 g)
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped (6 g)
  • 1 can crushed tomatoes with juice (14 oz/400 g)
  • 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock (120 ml)
  • 10 oz frozen cut green beans (280 g)
  • 1 teaspoon mild smoked paprika (2 g)
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (1.5 g), for filling
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3/4 cup fine yellow cornmeal (120 g)
  • 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (100 g)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder (8 g)
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (1.5 g), for topping
  • 1 large egg
  • 3/4 cup milk (180 ml)
  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil (30 ml), for topping

Set out

Oven, 9×13 in (23×33 cm) baking dish, at least 3.5 qt/3.3 L, 12-in/30-cm deep skillet, Clean bowl for cooked turkey, Two mixing bowls, Whisk, Skewer, Rimmed baking sheet, Food thermometer, Suitable foil for loose shielding if the topping colors before the center finishes

Allergens

Wheat, Milk, Egg; check stock and cornmeal labels. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Heat oven to 400°F (205°C). Put the dish on a rimmed sheet. Heat 15 ml filling oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Cook turkey 8–10 minutes, breaking it up, until several places reach 165°F (74°C). Transfer to a clean bowl.
  2. Add mushrooms and onion to the skillet. Cook 8–10 minutes, stirring, until onion softens and mushroom water evaporates. Add garlic for 30 seconds. Return turkey and add tomatoes, stock, green beans, paprika, filling salt and pepper. Simmer 8–10 minutes, or the bean package time if longer, until beans are tender and sauce is thick and steaming.
  3. Mix cornmeal, flour, baking powder and topping salt in one bowl. Whisk egg, milk and 30 ml topping oil in the other. Stir wet into dry just until no dry flour remains.
  4. Spread hot filling in the dish. Spoon batter across in patches and join gently into a shallow even layer. Bake 25–30 minutes until the top is golden, a skewer has no wet batter, the underside is set and the filling reaches 165°F (74°C) in several places. Shield the top loosely if needed while the center finishes.
  5. Rest 5 minutes. Mark the cornbread into six portions, then lift each with its share of filling.

Mix the batter at the end

Have the dry and wet bowls ready, but combine them only when the filling is hot and the baking dish is waiting. A little preparation makes that final step quick without rushing the cooking.

A useful detail

The 100-minute total includes chopping, sequential turkey and mushroom stages, simmering beans, batter mixing and the full bake/rest. The cornbread layer is intentionally shallow; a small deep dish changes its cooking.

Another way

  • Use 600 g ground chicken instead of turkey, cooking it to 165°F (74°C) before the mushroom stage. Retain the same hot filling, batter amount and final checks.

Keep it well

Refrigerate shallow portions within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C), at 40°F (4°C) or below. Use within 3 days or an earlier ingredient deadline. Reheat filling and topping to 165°F (74°C), covering initially to limit drying. Freeze promptly cooled portions for up to 1 month for quality; thaw in the refrigerator.