Note to self: There’s nothing better on a cold day than having a hot steaming bowl of chili topped with melted cheese and a dollop of sour cream with a side of soft warm cornbread. This chili was super meaty and hearty and oh so delicious. A definite must try! And the cornbread?! Super soft and cheesy and divine. I decided to use this recipe of cornbread mostly because I still had buttermilk leftover from the fried chicken recipe and needed to use it up. It gave the much needed moisture and softness to the cornbread and paired wonderfully with the spicy, hearty chili.
I adapted this recipe from cooking.nytimes.com and highlandsranchfoodie.com. I changed the chili up a bit because I had 2 chili seasoning packets from cupcake Aisha (There’s so many Aisha’s in my life I have little monikers for each lol…I miss her so much, she moved away to Chicago and before she left I totally raided her pantry and got some yummy additions to my kitchen) But I felt that even though I added both packets it was lacking in seasoning so I added a few more spices to kick it up a notch. The cornbread was yummy as is, but I cut the recipe in half because it’s only the 2 of us. And even after cutting it in half we had 12 individual pieces. We were eating cornbread for days lol! Now looking back on it I kinda wished I took some cornbread, sliced it in half and put it in the waffle maker with some chili, cheese and then another topping of cornbread. Doesn’t that sound yummy! Like a mini cornbread chili waffle sandwich! Such a fun way to use up leftovers…Oh well, until next time!
Ingredients:
Chili:
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup diced onions
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- ½ cup diced red bell pepper
- ½ cup diced celery
- 2 pouches of McCormick original chili seasoning (optional)
- 1 can of diced green chilies
- 1 lb ground beef
- ½ lb cooked leftover brisket (optional)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 can of petite diced tomatoes (undrained)
- ½ tsp of salt
- ½ tsp oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 can (15oz) red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup sour cream (optional)
- Sliced lime for garnish (optional)
Jalepeño buttermilk cornbread:
- ½ cup yellow corn meal
- ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- Half of a ⅓ cup sugar
- ½ tbsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 large egg beaten
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1½ tbsp canola oil
- Half of a 14½ oz can creamed corn a little of the liquid drained
- ½ cup shredded muenster cheese
- 1 medium jalapeño deseeded, minced
Directions:
Chili:
- In a large pot heat ½ tbsp of oil on medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp of minced garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds.
- Add 1 cup of diced onions, ½ cup of diced red bell peppers, ½ cup of diced celery and mix well.
- Add 2 pouches of McCormick chili seasoning mix and 1 can of diced green chilies. Cook for ~ 5 minutes or until veggies are softened.
- Add 1 lb of ground beef and ½ lb of cooked brisket (optional) and cook for ~5 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Add 1 cup of chicken broth, 1 can of petite diced tomatoes (undrained) and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes (stirring occasionally)
- Add ½ tsp of salt, ½ tsp oregano, 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp chili powder and 1 can (15oz) of red kidney beans, rinsed and drained and cook for ~10 minutes.
- Serve in bowls with cheddar cheese, and sour cream and lime wedges, if desired.
Cornbread:
- Preheat oven to 375.
- In a medium bowl combine ½ cup yellow corn meal, ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour, half of a ⅓ cup sugar, ½ tbsp baking powder, and ¼ tsp salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 egg, ½ cup buttermilk, 1½ tbsp canola oil and whisk together.
- Gently fold the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients until a batter is formed. Fold in half of a 14½ oz can creamed corn (a little of the liquid drained), ½ cup shredded muenster cheese, 1 medium jalapeño deseeded, minced
- Pour batter into a lightly greased 8-inch square baking pan. (I used a brownie pan with individual sized 12 squares, but you can make it into a large square and cut them up…if you’re using the same pan as me fill each square with an ⅛ cup of batter)
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the crust is light-brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the heat and let cool a few minutes.
- Serve with chili and enjoy!
Original recipe adapted from:
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/7985-turkey-chili
http://highlandsranchfoodie.com/2011/02/moist-cornbread-recipe/#.WfTc2hNSzLY
After reading this post I’m craving some Chili, asap!
Its perfect for the cold weather spent bundled up with a hot bowl of chili! Coziness at its finest!