This is a way to turn leftover Chilli or Picadillo into a one-dish meal.
The pre-cooked chilli is topped with a quick-mix cornbread batter, and then thrown in the oven to bake.
I initially came across this sort of thing in Laurel's Kitchen, where it is called Tennessee Corn Pone. However, this dish is apparently more commonly called Tamale Pie across America.