Chill-Chasin' Chili

Collin was the chef tonight. He has been wanting to make this chili out of his Betty Crocker Kid's Cookbook for awhile now. So he insisted it get in on the soup nights. I'll copy the recipe from the book so excuse the 'kidness' of it.

Chill-Chasin' Chili

1 pound lean ground beef
1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes
3 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/8 tsp red pepper sauce
1 can (15-16oz) red kidney beans
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese

Put the ground beef in the saucepan. Stir with the wooden spoon until beef is broken into small pieces. Cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until beef is thoroughly cooked and brown.

Take saucepan off hot burner. Put the strainer over the small bowl. Spoon beef into strainer to drain the fat. Put beef back in saucepan.

Open the can of tomatoes with the can opener. Add the tomatoes (with the liquid in the can), chili powder, garlic salt and red pepper sauce to beef. Stir until mixed. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring a few times. Turn heat down to low. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring a few times.

Open the can of kidney beans with the can opener. Ad beans (with the liquid in the can) to beef mixture. Stir until mixed. Cook for 20 minutes longer.

Take saucepan off hot burner. Top each serving of chili with the cheese.

We also like to top our chili with sour cream and corn chips. Robin made corn bread, which of course was topped with butter and our favorite honey from Hughes Honey.



Kid ratings:

Christopher Robin
Collin
Isaac	X "One Hundred"
Annette	X "Twenty-five"

We had cornbread with it.

Cornbread

2 cu buttermilk, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature

4 tbs bacon grease, lard, butter, or canola oil
(in order of preference)

1 1/2 cu corn meal, plus a scant handful (Not self-rising)
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Cast iron skillet

Preheat cast iron skillet in oven at 400 F. Allow at least 30 minutes for skillet to get hot.

Melt bacon grease, lard, or butter, and cool slightly.

Sift together dry ingredients.

Beat eggs, add 2 tbs bacon grease (or other fat), and buttermilk.

Add wet ingredients to dry, and stir just to combine, as you would muffin batter. Do not over mix. Batter will be very viscous.

Open oven, pour in remaining 2 tbs fat, toss in a scant handful of corn meal, then pour in batter. Cook 30-35 minutes, until done.

Remove from oven, cool 5 minutes, then remove to wire rack. Cut into wedges and serve with butter and honey.

To transfer the cornbread to the wire rack, turn rack upside down, place over skillet, hold rack in place with pot-holder-covered-hand, hold skillet handle with another pot-holder-covered-hand, and flip the whole thing over. If it falls on the floor, don't tell your family, just dust it off and serve it anyway.

The extra cornmeal in the pan helps prevent sticking, and makes the crust crunchier. Nom nom nom.