Homemade Chili Recipe and Cornbread Poppers
There’s not many people who don’t love a good chili recipe. It’s just good stuff. I mean what’s not to like? There’s meat, veggies and spice aplenty. But what is chili really? Is it a soup or a stew? Maybe it’s something in-between or something wholly different. At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter. Because culinary classification notwithstanding chili is simply that, chili.
I love chili. And when done right it does exactly what good chili is supposed to do, satisfy. With the coming cooler temperatures it is the perfect comfort food to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. And I am pairing this Homemade Chili w/ Corn & Peppers with Cornbread Poppers. So ask yourself, what could better? Very little my friend, very little indeed.
But tried and true chili lovers know the basic truth; chili is better the next day. And on those rare occasions when there is chili on the third day, I am going to show you a breakfast chili that’ll give you life and then some. So it’s on! One big pot of chili. Some killer ingredients and a bit of kitchen cook imagination are going all the way.
Cheers and enjoy.
Here’s what you will need to make your very own pot of chili happiness…
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 2 pounds chopped pork
- 2 pounds Carlson-Arbogast Chili Bean Mix
- 3 cups of water
- 28 ounce can of whole tomatoes
- 14.5 can of diced tomatoes
- 5-6 mix of whole garden tomatoes
- 1 large sweet onion, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sweet cream butter
- 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
- 1/4 cup masa harina
- 2 1/2 teaspoons Mexican style chili powder
- 2 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 1/2 tablespoon of Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt, to taste
Equipment:
Prep:
- Clean and sort beans. Place them in a medium size bowl and cover with water, allow beans to soak in the fridge overnight.
- In a skillet add a tablespoon of olive oil and blister 5-6 medium garden tomatoes. Set aside.
Directions:
1. Brown ground beef, drain and set aside.
2. For the pork, I used about 2 pounds of leftover braised pork loin, brown and set aside
3. This, in my humble opinion is the most important part. The roux. Most people are only familiar with preparing a roux for gumbo, but it works equally as well for chili too.
Using a large stock pot over medium heat, melt sweet cream butter, slowly sprinkle flour and stir with a whisk, keep stirring as you continue to add all of the flour a little at a time until the flour is all incorporated. DO NOT STOP STIRRING! If you think it’s going to burn, remove it from the heat but keep stirring. I like mine to be a nice brown color, which I get after around the twenty-minute mark. The roux will be the consistency of a thick paste and if you can achieve this, them you’re on your way to some incredible chili. At this point, I add the following seasoning.
4. Add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, 2 1/2 teaspoons of Mexican Style Chili Powder, 2 tablespoons of Tony Chachere’s Cajun Seasoning, 1/2 tablespoon of Garlic Powder, 1 teaspoon of Ground Cumin, 1 teaspoon of Fresh Cracked Black Pepper and 1/4 teaspoon of Kosher salt. Whisk until well combined.
5. Next add the onions and garlic. Continue to cook until onions become translucent.
6. Add 28-ounce can of whole tomatoes, 14.5 can of diced tomatoes and blistered tomatoes.
7. Add beans and 3 cups of warm water.
8. Add meat and stir until all ingredients are combined.
9. Partly cover with a lid and cook on medium-low heat for 1 hour then stir as you add masa harina.
10. Continue cooking for 1 – 1 1/2 hours.
11. When finished chili will thicken, and beans will be done.
I don’t know about you, but there’s nothing better than cornbread with a bowl of good chili. In this cornbread recipe, I added fresh sweet corn off the cob and peppers. Below you’ll find how to make Cornbread with Sweet Corn & Peppers.
Ingredients:
- 2 boxes of Jiffy Mix Cornbread
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup Sweet Corn of the Cob
- 6 Peppers
- 2 tablespoons of unsalted sweet cream butter
Equipment:
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Pan fry 1 cup of sweet corn removed from the cobs with butter for 5 – 7 minutes, set aside.
- Butter muffin pan.
- Slice peppers in half removing core, ribs and seeds, set aside.
- Follow directions on the Jiffy Mix Cornbread box, set aside.
- Add sweet corn kernels to cornbread batter and mix well.
- Divide cornbread batter evenly in muffin pan filling each cup 3/4 full.
- Place one-half of a pepper cut-side down on top of cornbread batter.
- Bake in preheated oven for 10 – 12 minutes, test with a toothpick if unsure. Toothpick should come out clean.
- Remove from oven and butter lavishly.
- Serve with chili.
Ingredients
- Ingredients:
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 2 pounds chopped pork
- 2 pounds Carlson-Arbogast Chili Bean Mix
- 3 cups of water
- 28 ounce can of whole tomatoes
- 14.5 can of diced tomatoes
- 5-6 mix of whole garden tomatoes
- 1 large sweet onion diced
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sweet cream butter
- 1 tablespoon of corn starch
- 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
- 1/4 cup masa harina
- 2 1/2 teaspoons Mexican style chili powder
- 2 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 1/2 tablespoon of Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt to taste
- Equipment:
- Large Stock Pot
- Garlic Press
- Prep:
- Clean and sort beans. Place them in a medium size bowl and cover with water allow beans to soak in the fridge overnight.
- In a skillet add a tablespoon of olive oil and blister 5-6 medium garden tomatoes. Set aside.
Instructions
Directions:
- Brown ground beef, drain and set aside.
- For the pork I used about 2 pounds of leftover braised pork loin, brown and set aside
- This, in my humble opinion is the most important part. The roux. Most people are only familiar with preparing a roux for gumbo, but it works equally as well for chili too.
- Using a large stock pot over medium heat melt sweet cream butter, slowly sprinkle flour and stir with a whisk, keep stirring as you continue to add all of the flour a little at a time until the flour is all incorporated. DO NOT STOP STIRRING! If you think it's going to burn, remove it from the heat but keep stirring. I like mine to be a nice brown color, which I get after around the twenty-minute mark. The roux will be the consistency of a thick paste and if you can achieve this, them you're on your way to some incredible chili. At this point, I add the following seasoning.
- Add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, 2 1/2 teaspoons of Mexican Style Chili Powder, 2 tablespoons of Tony Chachere's Cajun Seasoning, 1/2 tablespoon of Garlic Powder, 1 teaspoon of Ground Cumin, 1 teaspoon of Fresh Cracked Black Pepper and 1/4 teaspoon of Kosher salt. Whisk until well combined.
- Next add the onions and garlic. Continue to cook until onions become translucent.
- Add 28-ounce can of whole tomatoes, 14.5 can of diced tomatoes and blistered tomatoes.
- Add beans and 3 cups of warm water.
- Add meat and stir until all ingredients are combined.
- Partly cover with a lid and cook on medium-low heat for 1 hour then stir as you add masa harina.
- Continue cooking for 1 - 1 1/2 hours.
- When finished chili will thicken, and beans will be done.
Ingredients
- Ingredients:
- 2 boxes of Jiffy Mix Cornbread
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup Sweet Corn of the Cob
- 6 Peppers
- 2 tablespoons of unsalted sweet cream butter
Instructions
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Pan fry 1 cup of sweet corn removed from the cobs with butter for 5 - 7 minutes, set aside.
- Butter muffin pan.
- Slice peppers in half removing core, ribs and seeds, set aside.
- Follow directions on the Jiffy Mix Cornbread box, set aside.
- Add sweet corn kernels to cornbread batter and mix well.
- Divide cornbread batter evenly in muffin pan filling each cup 3/4 full.
- Place one-half of a pepper cut-side down on top of cornbread batter.
- Bake in preheated oven for 10 - 12 minutes, test with a toothpick if unsure. Toothpick should come out clean.
- Remove from oven and butter lavishly.
- Serve with chili.
Psst, use your leftover Chili for another meal:
Chili with Pan-Fried Kale & Garlicky Bread Crumbs
You already got the chili and on day two it is only that much better. The flavors have married and it’s just a wee bit thicker … and the sun is shining just a little bit brighter. But to get the rainbow and the unicorn to sing you an ode of eternal devotion you gotta to the following:
Get the homemade chili recipe above.
Ingredients:
Kale
- 2 cups kale, chopped
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
Directions:
- Place a medium size skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of evoo, when oil is hot add 2 cups of chopped kale, add Kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Cook until kale is bright green. Remove from heat, scoop into a small bowl and set aside.
Bread Crumbs
- 2 cups of freshly made bread crumbs
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons of unsalted sweet cream butter
- 1 tablespoon of Old Bay seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
Equipment:
- Food Processor
- Garlic Press
Directions:
- To make bread crumbs, put 3 -4 slices of a rustic or artisan white bread, tear them into large pieces and place into a food processor with the blade attachment. Using a garlic press mince garlic and scoop in into the bowl of the food processor with the bread. Pulse bread and garlic until you have bread crumbs.
- Over medium heat, using the same skillet add 1 tablespoon of unsalted sweet cream butter. When butter is melted add 2/3 of the bread crumbs a little at a time, you want to evenly coat the bread crumbs and if you dump them all in at the same time, not so much. Keep stirring until bread crumbs are toasted evenly. Remove to a bowl and repeat process until all of the breadcrumbs are toasted.
- Spoon onto a hot bowl of chili the pan-fried kale and garlicky toasted bread crumbs.
- Serve.
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