M's "Splashes and Dashes" Chili recipe

First of all, my apologies to Friend M who sent me this recipe. I very rarely follow a recipe exactly, not even with baking. Sometimes it's a matter of eye-balling, and other times it's a pantry challenge. Let's start with the corn bread recipe:

ALBER'S Sweet Corn Muffins
(recipe on side of ALBER'S Cornmeal box)
1 1/2 c. sifted all-purpose flour
2/3 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. ALBERS Yellow Corn Meal
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 c. milk
2 Large eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 c. vegetable oil
3 Tbsp melted butter

Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease 8x8 pan
Combine flour, sugar, cornmeal, bakingpowder and salt in medium bowl. Combine milk, eggs, vegetable oil and butter in small bowl; Mix well. Add to flour mixture;stir just until blended. Pour into prepared pan. Let rest 5 minutes.
Bake for 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Folks, this is the most delicious corn bread I've ever had. It is pretty sweet but it compliments the tang and spice of the chili is such a perfect way. My kids go nuts for this stuff.

Marcie's Dashes and Splashes Chili
For a good pot of Chili, I just do the 5-6 can/flavor to own desire deal. Heck, it's Chili. You can't go wrong!

1 lb. ground beef (I know it's a lot, but you can add/take away as much as you want- it freezes well when fully cooked.)
1/3 diced white onion (or a sprinkling of dried diced onions- again, your own desired amount.)
Salt and pepper as needed
- cook your meat thoroughly- no pink- and onions should be translucent.
1 can kidney beans - drained and rinsed
1 can black beans - drained and rinsed
1 can garbanzo beans - drained and rinsed
2-3 cans of Diced/Stewed tomatoes - Your choice
- simmer until tomatoes breakdown, sauce builds up (you can add a cup of water if you want it jucier)
Add dashes of Chili powder until desired spiciness
Add splashes of Lea & Perrins Worchester Sauce until desired umph!
1 sliced celery stalk

Simmer unil hot and serve with your cornbread!

I have prepared my cornbread while I brown the meat for the chili and then while the cornbread is baking, it allows enough time for the tomatoes to simmer down. Usually the Chili is done by the time the cornbread is done. Easy, huh? No one should EVER ask me to write a cookbook!

Friend M, you are such a delight. I did make some changes and here they are:

-Ground turkey was less expensive, as was turkey sausage. So I used turkey sausage. It had way less fat than ground beef and I like the flavor of it.

-I used your suggestion of the dried onion since I wasn't in the mood to chop a fresh one. Great idea.

-The beans were cooked from dried. They were quick soaked then simmered on the stove. It took a total of 3.5 hours to get them tender. The chickpeas take longer to soften and the other beans were a bit overcooked by the time they achieved my texture desires.

- 2 cans of small-dice tomatoes, and one small can of mild RoTel tomatoes that I happened to have on hand and knew I'd never use unless it was in this pot of chili. I loved the punch it gave the whole dish.

I have to say, the concept of this chili is what really makes it, and that is a valuable thing in a recipe. The meat, the three kinds of beans, and the Worcestershire sauce are key to this pot o' yummy. Around that core of identity, you can customize several ways and still have a very rich, delightfully textured chili. I did what you suggested by splitting a piece of corn bread in half and scooping my chili over the top. It ended up being too spicy for my kids but I am loving it. The corn and the beans are my complete protein, it's low fat (well, except for the corn bread), it's so filling, very tasty, and very cost effective.

Chili supplies:

Turkey - $1.28 for 16 ounces
Tomatoes - 48 cents per can times 2 cans
RoTel tomatoes.... 75 cents? I don't remember
Onions - 10 cents maybe
Beans - 30 cents worth with some left over that I didn't end up adding to the chili

Add in w. sauce and dashes of spices...

Total cost is $3.75. I think the corn bread cost about $1 or less, all told, and all this food is at least 2 full meals for my family. It's a great freezer meal, corn bread and all.

Want to pinch more pennies? Don't use RoTel tomatoes, use just half the meat, double the onion, and add half a can of water.

Thank you, M, for a real treat for dinner.