Ingredients:
2 teaspoonscumin seeds
2 teaspoonsdried oregano
2 teaspoonssmoked paprika
2 teaspoonsAncho chile powder (or another mild, smoky chile powder, such as chipotle)
2 poundscornbread, cut into 1 to 1 ½-inch pieces (about 8 cups)
3 tablespoonsneutral oil (such as sunflower or grapeseed), divided
1 1/2 teaspoonskosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
1 poundground turkey, pork, or beef
3 to 4 cupschicken broth, divided
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tablespoonstomato paste
8 ounces(about 2 cups) coarsely grated cheddar cheese, divided
Diced tomato, to serve
Shredded iceberg lettuce, to serve
Sour cream, to serve
Directions:
Heat oven to 325°F.
In a small skillet over medium-high heat, toast the cumin and oregano until fragrant, about 1 minute. In a spice grinder, blitz the cumin and oregano until fine. In a small bowl, combine with the paprika and chile powder.
Spread the cornbread onto a sheet pan, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil, and toss to combine. Sprinkle with half of the spice blend, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and toss to evenly coat. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Bake, tossing once midway through, until toasty and crisp, 35 to 45 minutes. Once the cornbread is out of the oven, increase oven temperature to 375°F.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of oil until it shimmers. Add the ground turkey, breaking into crumbles with a potato masher or whisk. Season with the remaining 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add ½ cup of chicken broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned bits. Scrape the mixture and all the liquid into a large heatproof bowl and set aside.
Return the skillet to medium-high heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and heat until it shimmers. Add onion, garlic, tomato paste, remaining spice mixture, and a big pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion and garlic have wilted and the tomato paste looks darkened and sticks to the bottom of the skillet, about 5 minutes. Add ½ cup of chicken broth and scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Simmer until reduced, thickened, and the fat starts to sizzle in the pan, about 5 minutes. Scrape this mixture into the bowl with the turkey.
Add the croutons to the bowl and mix well but gently to combine. Add enough broth to make the bread moist but not soggy (you may not need it all) and half of the cheddar cheese. Toss to combine, taste the mixture, and add more salt if needed. Transfer the mixture to a 3- to 4-quart casserole dish.
Bake until steamy and brown, 35 to 40 minutes.
Serve hot with diced tomato, shredded lettuce, sour cream, and the remaining shredded cheese alongside (like a taco bar!).