Its Chili Weather!

Its official...there is a cool front on the way. My friend Brady emailed me and asked for a chili and cornbread recipe so I thought I'd share it with everyone. Excellent meal idea for this weekend Brady!

I've copied my email to Brady exactly as I wrote it. You will notice some side comments to Brady on here because he and I have kindred picky pallets. He understands the whole texture issue (I'm pretty sure he doesn't do cream of mushroom soup either - although he has come a long way and has possibly surpassed me in this area). Hmm...maybe I should work on branching out more.

My mom's "Old Fashioned Cornbread"

Preheat oven to 400 

Sift in large bowl: 

1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal

1 tsp salt

8 tsp sugar

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

In a 10" round or 9x12 glass pan melt 1/2 c (1 stick) of butter in oven - watch closely and pull out of oven when still a little solid butter left (otherwise it will pop and burn the shit out of you - I speak from personal experience)

Add 3 eggs (beaten) and 1 cup buttermilk to dry ingredients and beat with a wooden spoon.

Beat in 1/4 cup whipping cream.

Take pan with butter and pour in 1/2 into batter (enough should remain in the pan to cover the bottom)

Mix

Pour batter into buttery pan - butter will rise up along edges

Bake at 400 for 20 min or until toothpick comes out clean

Chili

2 lbs ground beef (I usually buy one lean and one sirloin, will also work with 1/2 deer meat and 1/2 sirloin)

8 oz can tomato sauce

1 can diced tomatoes (drained)

1 can spicy V8 - I know what you are thinking brady, but go with it, I promise

1 can regular V8

1 jalapeno seeded and diced

1/4 onion chopped 

1 pkg wickfowlers 2 alarm chili mix (in red box near taco seasoning section) Yes, I know this seems like "cheating" or something, but they use the exact same spices my homemade recipe calls for and they are already measured out for you. 

toppings - cheese, chips, etc

1. place onion and jalapeno in the blender. cover with v8 (either one) and blend til smooth (no chunks - just for people like us)

2. Brown meat and drain

3. Add

sauce

tomatoes

both v8s

jalapeno/onion mixture 

and spices from the package - go easy on the red pepper. I never use the masa flour included in pkg

cover simmer on low heat at least 30 min