Chili with Cornbread

I grew up eating chili over yellow rice. When I started cooking for myself I realized that I don’t care for rice. I now eat my chili with corn bread. The recipe below is adapted from Mark Bittman’s corn bread recipe which is delicious. I cut back on the cornmeal because I ran out and substitutes molasses for white sugar because I felt like it. If you don’t have a cast-iron skillet then a baking pan or muffin tin will work fine (just melt the grease or use oil). Feel free to add herbs, spices, chili peppers, bacon, etc.

As for the chili… it’s not a big deal. All you need is beans, tomatoes, and something spicy. Feel carnivorous? Add ground turkey.

 

Corn bread:

(adapted from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything)

1 1/4 cup buttermilk

2 tbsp bacon fat

1 1/4 cup cornmeal

3/4 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

about 1 tbsp dark molasses

1 egg

Preparation: Heat fat in cast-iron skillet for a minute. Mix dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients. Add wet to dry. Add batter to pre-heated fat in skillet. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes.

 

Chipotle black been chili:

two (each) canned chipotles in adobo

half red onion

2 tbsp oil

can black beans

can diced tomatoes

1 clove garlic

pure chili powder

cumin

red pepper flakes

one whole dried mystery chili dad brought from Guatemala

salt & peppa

Preparation: Heat oil in pot. Add onion and cook until tender. Add garlic and spices, cook another minute. Add remaining ingredients. Serve over corn bread with diced raw onion, shredded cheese, more hot sauce, cold beer, whatever.