Mama G’s Crock Pot Chili and Green Chile Cornbread

Fall is one of my favorite times of year. The air is cooler, the leaves are changing and hopefully my Kansas City Chiefs and CU Buffs are doing well on the field. Plus there are all the things I love to cook this season.

Chili is definitely something we have at least a few times a month October through the end of winter. This recipe is a blend of my mom’s recipe that I grew up on plus some additions that give it a Colorado touch (i.e. diced green chile peppers).

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
2 red peppers, diced
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 package chili seasoning (Williams seasoning is my favorite but it isn’t available in Colorado. Here is hoping I now have a few packets in my stocking when we go back to Kansas City for Christmas!)
1 15 oz can black beans, drained
1 30 oz can of chili beans
1 14.5 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1-2 4 oz cans diced green chile peppers or 4-8 oz of fresh roasted peppers (I would use the hot version if cooking for adults and the mild version if cooking for kids.)

Optional add-ins:

1 lb ground pork (I like to add an extra pound of meat when I am serving a crowd)
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (This is a great way to sneak some additional veggies in.)

Toppings:

Sour cream
Diced green onions/scallions
Cheddar cheese
Saltine crackers

Recipe:

Brown meat(s)
While meat is browning, chop vegetables
Drain fat off of meat(s) if needed
Add chili seasoning to drained meat and cook for a couple of minutes
If the bottom of the pan gets crusty, add a little water or beer if you have a can open to deglaze the pan (You want all the seasoning making it into the crock pot, not sticking to the pan.)
Scrape meat and seasoning into crock pot
Add all vegetables to crock pot
Add all canned items to crock pot
Stir
Cook on low for 8 hours
Serve with toppings in bowls for people to add what they like

And yes, I know my crock pot is hideous. See my crock pot chicken recipe for the explanation of why I keep it around.

Serving suggestion:

I like to have cornbread with my chili. My favorite brand is Krusteaz and their Honey Cornbread and Muffin mix is very, very good.

I typically mix the box following their directions and spoon out a couple of muffins worth into a muffin pan (these will be for the kids). Then I add a can or fresh green chiles to the mix and spoon out the rest of the batter into the muffin pan (these are for the adults). For those at high altitude, make sure to follow the high altitude instructions of adding a bit more milk and flour.