There’s something incredibly homey about savory, saucy foods topped with bread baked in the juices of the dish.

Such as chicken and dumplings — gloppy, soppy dumplings. Or sizzling chili nestled under a layer of cornbread baked over it.

Inspired by frigid weather that seems to beg for food with ample heat, I decided to start with the chili. I wanted a simple chili and cornbread that could easily go from raw ingredients to finished dish at the end of a busy day — without ruining my evening.

First, the chili. I’d learned from previous testing that long simmering isn’t essential for intensely flavored chili. Technique, not ingredients, makes the difference.

The key is to bloom the seasonings, or essentially saute them in hot fat for several minutes at the start of the recipe. This simple step, which is common in Indian cooking, replicates the deeper flavors normally achieved by slower cooking.

But my original quick chili recipe was too fluid for this use. The chili and cornbread should be scooped out together, without either crumbling apart too much.

So I decreased the liquid, eliminated the beans (I didn’t want another starch to compete with the cornbread), and for faster cooking and better browning used a skillet instead of a saucepan.

With the chili settled, I focused on the cornbread. My first attempt was a disaster. I’d previously developed a recipe for tender, moist cornbread, so I simply made a batch of that, spread it over the chili and baked.

The taste was right, but the ratio was all wrong. I ended up with a 1-inch layer of chili topped with 2 1/2 inches of cornbread. Cutting the cornbread recipe in half worked much better.

The result was perfect winter comfort food — spicy, sloppy and bready.

For fun, I tried a vegetarian version, substituting ground soy “meat” for the ground beef and cubed steak. It worked, though I noticed it lent a sweetness to the dish. If you try this, taste your chili before topping with the cornbread batter and adjust seasonings accordingly.

Baked Chili Cornbread

Ingredients

4 strips bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 1/4 teaspoons chili powder

2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. instant coffee powder

1 Tbsp. diced pickled jalapeno peppers

1 1/2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 1/4 pounds lean ground beef

1 pound steak tips, cut into bite-size pieces

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 large egg

1/2 cup milk

1/4 stick (2 Tbsp.) butter, melted and cooled

15-ounce can diced tomatoes

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 F. Lightly coat a 9-by-12-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and fry until the fat melts.

Lower heat to medium. Add the chili powder, cumin, coffee, jalapeno peppers, paprika, oregano and brown sugar. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the ground beef and steak tips and cook, stirring often, until browned and cooked nearly though, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk and butter.

Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Set aside.

Add the tomatoes to the skillet and stir for 1 minute, scraping up any bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Transfer the meat mixture to the prepared baking dish. Pour the cornbread batter over it, using the back of a spoon to spread it evenly.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until cornbread is lightly browned and pulled way from the baking dish.

To serve, use a large spoon to scoop chili and cornbread into shallow bowls.

Makes 6 servings.