Chili and Cornbread

Chili and cornbread.  Cornbread and chili.  Hmmm.

Whichever way you say it, it's one of my favorite meals.  It's got it all.  Comfort, taste, all the food groups.  What not to love.

The chili I make to eat out of a bowl with cornbread is different from the chili I make when making Frito pie.  I don't know why it's different - it just is.  Don't judge me.

The cornbread I make to eat with chili in a bowl is a sweet cornbread (western friends, think Marie Calendar's cornbread.)  That's how I like it.  I also add a dollop of sour cream to my chili.  Yep.  It's good.

Writing down the recipe for chili is weird.  I've never actually measured anything to make chili.  I'm surprised at how much chili and cumin I use.  Ah well, it tastes good.


Chili

1 1/2 pounds hamburger, get the lean stuff
2 small or 1 large onion, large dice
2 bell peppers, orange or yellow or red, large dice
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
3-4 Tablespoons chili powder (I use 4)
3-4 Tablespoons cumin (I use 4)
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1 14.5 ounce can tomato sauce
fill the tomato sauce can with water and add it
4 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes (do not drain)
2 14.5 ounce cans beans, whatever kind you like - I like kidney and black, rinsed and drained

Brown the hamburger in a large sauce pot.  Drain the meat, if needed.  Add the onion and cook until softened.

Add the pepper and cook.  Add the spices and stir and cook for about 5 minutes to release the flavor of the spices.  Dump in the tomato sauce, water, and undrained tomatoes.  Stir it up.

Rinse the beans and add them to the chili.  Taste it.  Add whatever you think it needs.  Really.  Your opinion is important.
Let the chili simmer for 1/2 hour or all afternoon.
Eat it up.


Cornbread

2 cups flour
2 cups cornmeal
1 1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 Tablespoons baking powder
2 eggs
2 cups milk
2/3 cups oil

Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
Mix wet ingredients together in a large bowl.

Combine wet and dry ingredients together. (Kinda like they're getting married.  Oops, I guess that depends on what state you live in.)
Stir till combined.
Pour into a greased 13x9 pan and bake 20-30 minutes at 400 degrees.

*if you don't want that much cornbread, divide everything in half and bake in an 8x8 pan.