Chili Cornbread Skillet

My friend Melissa has been raving about this Chili Cornbread Skillet for months. She makes it every single week for dinner. I admit, I'm not that into chili. It's fine, it's just not something I crave, but after seeing it week after week on her tumblr page I decided I needed to see what all the fuss was about. Plus SP loves chili and Baby Girl could probably eat a whole pan of cornbread herself so this seemed like a win all around.

This is a great weeknight dinner - it takes almost no time to prepare and tastes great. I found the chili a bit salty, so I cut back on the salt in the recipe below and I think next time I'll leave out the green pepper because they just don't agree with me. SP wanted the chili a bit spicier but I always err on the mild side since Baby Girl eats what we eat.

We all enjoyed this and the leftovers were even more delicious. I had half an avocado in the fridge so I diced it up to eat with my leftovers. I think sour cream, maybe even some cheddar cheese, would be great as well - really whatever toppings you like on your chili would be great with this. Thanks for the push to make this, Melissa!

Chili Cornbread Skillet
As seen on Alosha's Kitchen, from Very Culinary

1 pound ground beef
1 medium sweet onion, finely diced
1 green bell pepper, finely diced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon oregano
1/2 tablespoon chile powder
1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 (10-ounce) can condensed tomato soup
1 15-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup salsa
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 package (8.5 ounce) Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
Toppings: grated cheddar, sour cream, diced avocado, etc.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat a 10 or 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef, onion, bell pepper, garlic, spices and salt to the pan. Cook, breaking up the chunks of beef with a wooden spoon, stirring occasionally, until the meat is no longer pink and the vegetables are softened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the beans, soup, salsa, and ketchup and stir until thoroughly combined. Remove from heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the corn muffin mix, egg, and milk. Let sit for 2 minutes. Spoon the corn muffin mix over the beef.

Bake, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes until cornbread is golden brown. Remove from oven and let sit 5 minutes, then break into cornbread top to serve. Top with cheese, sour cream, etc., if desired.

Traditional Chili

To many people fall means chili. I have a go-to recipe I use whenever SP asks me to make chili, but I saw this Traditional Chili over at Southern Pink Lemonade and figured I'd give it a try.

This was an incredibly easy recipe - brown the beef, onions and garlic, add in the rest of the ingredients and leave it alone for a few hours. My chili was a little thick, so I had to add in some water as it was cooking. I modified the recipe to add in some water and cut the beer in half - a full bottle was a little too overpowering.

Full disclosure - I'm not a big fan of chili. I made this because SP loves it and so I'd have leftovers for the freezer. I've got big plans to make chili cheese fries sometime this fall.

Traditional Chili
Adapted by Peace, Love, and French Fries, as seen on Southern Pink Lemonade

1 1/2 - 2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion, finely diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2- 15 ounce cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (you could also use black beans or pinto beans)
24 ounces tomato sauce
6 ounce bottle of beer
8 ounces water
6 ounce can tomato paste
4 1/5 ounce can diced green chilies
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon cumin
1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, depending on how spicy you would like your chili
1 teaspoon paprika
1-2 teaspoons hot sauce, depending on how spicy you would like your chili

In a large soup pot or dutch oven, brown ground beef with onion and garlic over medium-high heat. Drain beef of excess grease, if necessary. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low. Allow chili to simmer for 3 hours or until thickened. Stir occasionally.

Top with shredded cheese, green onions, or sour cream, if you would like. You can also serve chili over rice, fries, or even top your hotdog with it.