Cornbread & Chili

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Gather round the fire folks, it’s time for another winter classic: Cornbread & Chili!

As much as soup is a winter favorite, chili is right up there as soup’s spicier cousin. What I love about chili is you can literally make it whatever you want. There’s white chili, veggie chili, beef, turkey or chicken chili; you can eat it with chips or over rice, and top it with all the things! Or none of the things and enjoy this winter staple on its own. But the best, and debatably the most delicious thing to pair it with: homemade cornbread. If you like your chili particularly spicy, cornbread provides the perfect balance of sweetness to the spice; plus it’s a little like having dessert with dinner, and who doesn’t love that?!

I can’t take all the credit for how this recipe came out though. My husband is the crockpot master, and always makes this one in particular delicious. This recipe is also especially versatile, as you can adjust the spices any way you see fit, and choose to add meat or keep it vegetarian.

Where we are, we are currently experiencing Fake Spring, and this recipe is perfect for those last, hopefully few, colder days. So break out that crockpot one more time and enjoy!

-S

Ingredients:

For the chili:

• 1 cup diced yellow onion

• 1 cup diced red bell pepper

• 1 cup chopped carrot

• 1 cup chopped celery

• 1 15oz can tomato sauce

• 1 15oz can fire-roasted tomatoes

• 1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 15 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

• 2 tsp salt

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp chili powder

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 1 Tbs fresh lime juice

Optional:

• 1 lb ground turkey or whatever meat you like in your chili

• 2 tbs hot sauce

For the corn bread:

• 1 cup yellow cornmeal

• 1 cup King Arthur all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1/4 cup honey

• 2 eggs

• 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

Method:

For the chili:

• To a 6 quart crock-pot, add the onion, bell pepper, carrot, celery, tomato sauce, black beans, fire roasted tomatoes, kidney beans, pinto beans, 1 1/2 tsp salt, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika. Stir to combine.

• **if using meat, cook meat in a large skillet until browned before adding to crockpot.

• Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 6-7 hours.

• Uncover and stir in the lime juice and hot sauce if you’re using it. Taste and add remaining salt if needed. Serve over rice or on it’s on with whatever toppings you’d like.

For the cornbread:

• Preheat oven to 400° and grease an 8in square baking dish.

• In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.

• In a separate bowl, whisk together melted butter, sugar, honey, eggs, and buttermilk until fully combined.

• Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix together until just combined. Pour batter into prepped baking dish and smooth it out so it’s even. Bake for 18-22 minutes until edges are browned and toothpick comes out clean.