{Recipe} ~ Sweet and Spicy Chili and Skillet Cornbread

Happy Monday!

The weekend updates are about to get real boring around these parts, mainly because I am now working 6 days a week. Last week clocked in about 54 hours of work and I still didn't get everything done.

Saturday involved work, some laundry, a run outside (it was 74 degrees here!), and then a chili cookoff at our friend Marina's house! She had planned the cookoff weeks ago, having no idea we were going to be having a heat wave! But the show went on as planned, and we had so much fun!

I decided to try out a new chili recipe and I made cornbread in my new cast iron skillet!

There were about 10 different pots of chili, so everyone grabbed a tasting cup and spoon and went to try each kind. Marina and her roommate provided all the extras (sour cream, cheese, crackers and Fritos for dipping)!

Then came the vote! Ryan and I were bouncing between the kitchen and the living room trying to catch the end of the playoff games when Marina came to grab us to say we had won something! There were about 30 different people there and all the other chilis were so good, I definitely wasn't expecting to win. We actually came in 3rd place!! I told Ryan he could take some of the credit too, since he did open the cans and conduct the final taste test :)

I spent all day Sunday lounging on the couch watching football and I didn't move except to eat dinner. I fell asleep on the couch at 8 pm and just moved from there to my bed around 10 pm. Really exciting things going on, let me tell you!

Hopefully the weather is a little cooler where you are and you can enjoy a big bowl of this chilil!

Sweet & Spicy Chili
from Iowa Girl Eats
(There's no picture because chili is extremely unphotogenic :) )

Ingredients:
1/2 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1lb 90/10 ground beef
Salt and pepper
1-29oz can tomato sauce
1-15oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
1-16oz can Bush’s Vegetarian Baked Beans
Chili powder
Cayenne pepper
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Cumin
Brown sugar (optional)
 

Directions:

 

Heat a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add onion, garlic and ground beef to the pot, season with salt & pepper, then cook, breaking up the ground beef, until no longer pink. Drain well and return to the pan.

 

Turn the heat down to medium low and add in tomato sauce, black beans and baked beans. Season with chili powder and cayenne pepper to your tastes, then add in dashes of onion powder, garlic powder and cumin. Let the chili simmer for 5-10 minutes, then taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

 

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Confession: I've only ever made cornbread from a box (my favorite mix is from Trader Joe's), so this was my first attempt at making it from scratch! I was a little disappointed that mine stuck to the pan majorly and Ryan and I basically tore it to pieces trying to remove it from the skillet. Next time, I'll be sure to liberally douse it in non-stick spray! But the pieces that didn't fall apart tasted really good. You definitely can't eat chili without some cornbread to go with it!

 

Skillet Cornbread

from The Pioneer Woman

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup Yellow Cornmeal
• ½ cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
• 1 cup Buttermilk
• ½ cups Milk
• 1 whole Egg
• ½ teaspoons Baking Soda
• ¼ cups Shortening
• 2 Tablespoons Shortening

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Combine cornmeal, flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Stir together.

Measure the buttermilk and milk in a measuring cup and add the egg. Stir together with a fork. Add the baking soda and stir.

Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir with a fork until combined.

In a small bowl, melt 1/4 shortening. Slowly add melted shortening to the batter, stirring until just combined. In an iron skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons shortening over medium heat. Pour the batter into the hot skillet. Spread to even out the surface. (Batter should sizzle.)

Cook on stovetop for 1 minute, then bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.