Exceptional Chili and Sweet Cornbread
What can I say, except Exceptional Chili and Sweet Cornbread!! These two recipes are long, long….long time family favorites. The crockpot chili is super easy and oh so delicious! I have never tasted a better cornbread, ever!
It’s all in the Ingredients
They are simple! The fresh ingredients are garlic, yellow onion, bell pepper and ground chuck. Those flavors alone are always a great combination and sure to create a delicious starting base.
Next are the open-the-can or package ingredients. They include; pinto beans, diced tomatoes and peppers, green chili, tomato sauce and the contents of a Chili Kit.
How much easier can it get?
Let’s Make This Exceptional Chili!
Start by prepping the vegetables. Which simply includes washing, chopping and done!
Opening and draining the beans. I also keep this simple. Once the can is 7/8 opened I use the cans partially opened lid to drain off some of the juices and I don’t rinse them.
The remaining canned ingredients are ready as they are. After opening them, that is. I always wash the top and top lip of canned foods before using them.
Heating it up
We like to preheat my crock pot and set it to high. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add in the onion and bell pepper. Saute them until they are tender, stirring as needed. Next, gently break-up the ground chuck as you add it to the sauteing vegetables. Saute until cooked and crumbly, not browned, as that will toughen the meat. Add in the garlic half-way through the sauteing of the ground chuck. Once cooked, drain off the excessive fat or oil.
Into The Chili Pot
Add the sauteed ingredients to your crockpot. Mix in the canned beans, tomatoes, green chili and tomato sauce stirring to combine. We prefer to use only pinto beans. Some like to add a can of Kidney beans into the mix. If you do, great! Just omit one of the cans of pinto beans from the recipe.
Dry Ingredients
Hot n Spicy Exceptional Chili, or Not
I don’t mind a little heat or spice. On the other hand, Dave likes it hot and spicy. We have to compromise a bit tho. For us we add in ½ teaspoon of the spicy hot cayenne pepper mix. But, if you and yours like it hot, go for it and add as much as you like.
Seal it up
Once all of the ingredients are in your crockpot set the lid on and seal it. Our crock pot lid seals. If yours doesn’t, no worries. Just set your lid in place and walk away. Lol, you’ll need to check on it once in a while, give it a stir as needed.
Masa
I wait until our chili is fully cooked before adding in the masa packet. Sometimes there isn’t a need to add it in. But, when I do I use a mason jar to thoroughly mix the masa with water prior to adding it to the chili.
It’s very easy to do. I add about 1/3 cup of water to the mason jar, then add the masa to the water. Seal tightly and shake, shake, shake it until it is well mixed. Then slowly add it in, stirring gently as you do. You may need just a small amount of it or all of it. It varies each and every time. Allow the chili to continue cooking for up to ½ hour.
That’s It! Exceptional Chili!
This is a simple, flavorful, well exceptional chili recipe. Easy as it gets and one that we’ve made over and over again. We hope you’ll add this to your list of favorite recipes and enjoy it many, many times. Remember to drop us a comment with your thoughts.
Crockpot Chili
Equipment
- crockpot
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Oil
- 1 Yellow onion, chopped
- 1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1.5 lbs Ground Chuck
- 3 cans Pinto Beans, drained
- 2 cans Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies
- 1 can Fire Roasted Diced Green Chilies
- 1-2 cans Tomato Sauce
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp Cayane pepper seasoning
- 1 package Texas Chili Kit
- 1/3 cup water used to disolve flour or masa, if needed
Instructions
- Add 1 - 2 tbsp. oil to a large frying pan and heat
- Add chopped onion and bell pepper and saute until onions and peppers are softened
- Add ground chuck and garlic fry until beef is brown and crumbley
- Drain juices from beef and vegies. Transfer to crockpot
- Add beans, tomatoes, green chili and tomato sauce, stir to combine
- Add seasoning mix from the Texas Chili kit and cayanne pepper packet, stir to combine
- Cook on High setting for 2 hours, stiring occassionaly
- Add salt and pepper to taste
- If chili has not thickened pour water into a jar, add mesa packet, seal and shake until dry mixture is combined with water. Slowly add the mixture into the chili until the desired thickness is achieved.
- Turn the crockpot setting to low and allow to cook an addition 15 minutes to half hour.
Notes
Sweet, Moist and Delicious Cornbread
This is the best cornbread, ever! Or at least we think so. It pairs perfectly with our exceptional chili recipe and many other main dishes. The blend of ingredients gives it a pleasing texture and it is lighter and fluffier than other cornbread recipes we’ve tried.
What’s in this Sweet Cornbread Recipe
You’ll need two boxes of Jiffy corn muffin mixes and all the ingredients listed on the boxes. One box of Yellow Cake Mix and all the ingredients listed on the box. We prefer Betty Crocker Super Moist cake mix. But, any yellow cake mix will work.
On The Box Ingredients
For us those ingredients are…hmm, let me break this down. The two Jiffy corn muffin mixes you’ll add two eggs and 2/3rds cup milk; for the Yellow Cake Mix you’ll add 1 cup water, 1/2 cup oil and 3 eggs. Again, this will vary depending on the brand you use.
Sweet Cornbread as Simple as it Gets
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spritz your baking dish or muffin tray with a non stick spray and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl add in your dry ingredients and combine. Next add the milk, water, eggs and vegetable oil. Stir to thoroughly mix all the ingredients together. No need to use an electric mixer as you do not want to over-work these ingredients.
Into Your Dish or Tray and Into the Oven
Add the ingredients into your baking dish and or muffin tray and into your preheated oven for 25-35 minutes. We check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center portion of your cornbread and when it comes out clean, it is done. Serve and enjoy!
Final Thoughts on our Exceptional Chili and Sweet Cornbread
These recipes, Exceptional Chili and Sweet Cornbread, will serve a large family or a very hungry small family, lol! Both are great re-warmed for an additional meal. Or you can do as we do and package them up into individual meal sized storage containers and freeze them for later use.
Sweet, Moist and Delicious Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 box Yellow Cake Mix Add Ingredients listed on the back of the box
- 2 boxies Jiffy cornbread Add Ingredients listed on the back of each box
- In our recipe those ingredients are (note: your ingredients may vary):
- 2/3 cup Milk
- 5 Eggs
- 1/2 cup Vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare your baking pans or muffin pan by spraying them with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients from the yellow cake mix, and both boxes of Jiffy cornbread mixes, stirring to combines.
- Add the ingredience listed on the back of each of the boxes (your ingredients may vary from ours).
- In our case that is: 5 eggs, 2/3 cup milk, 1/2 cup oil and 1 cup water
- Mix all of the ingredients together until thoroughly combined. Do not over mix and there is no need to use a mixer.
- Pour contents into your prepared 9" x 13" baking pan or Muffin tray. Bake for 25 - 35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick is clean when removed.
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