Quarantine Cooking: Homemade Cornbread Muffin Tops

A few nights ago I found some leftover chili that I didn't realize I still had at the back of the refrigerator.  I'd run out of cilantro, but still had red onions and grated queso.  I decided to bake and serve cornbread muffins with the chorizo and ground beef chili.  I usually bake cornbread from a packaged mix, which I didn't have in my pantry.  However, I did have polenta and a little buttermilk left.  I halved a recipe and mixed in a bowl, 1/2 cup of all purpose flour and a 1/2 cup polenta with a 1/8 cup of dark brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/8 teaspoon of salt.  In another bowl, I microwaved a 1/4 cup of butter, let it cool and then added a tablespoon of honey, 1/2 cup of buttermilk, and an egg.

I then added the wet ingredients to the dry.  It made a very liquidy batter, but thought, oh heck go with it.  I also had a little too much batter to fill my muffin top pan, which I didn't bother to grease.

I baked my muffins in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20 to 23 minutes and was actually pleased by how golden brown they were. 

I loved the contrast between the crispy golden top and moist, soft interior.  The polenta had also added a nice crunch.  The muffin didn't need more butter, but again, why the heck not? My leftover chili dinner was supremely tasty and satisfying.