Chili and Cornbread

During college, I took a road trip one weekend with my roommate Alyssa to Zion's National Park.  We slept a couple nights at her cousin's house in St. George.  One of the nights we were there, they made a large pot of chili, and it was the best chili I had ever eaten!  I begged for the recipe and have been making their version ever since.  I suppose you could make it with steak instead of ground beef or turkey, but it seems to defeat the purpose of an economical and healthy meal.  My kids all love beans and I always make them from dried.  It is a fraction of the price and healthier.  If you cook them on low in a crock pot they can count for either a legume or a vegetable.

I always start with a few cups of any variety of beans and cook them on low overnight.  In the morning I add the rest of the ingredients.  Any acid added to beans will stop them from cooking, so you can cook them the rest of the day on low and they will hold their shape.  If you are in a hurry and want to use canned beans, just start them with all the ingredients in the morning and cook on low all day.  If you forget to start them until lunchtime, cook on high for half the time.  Or just cook them on the stove, but you will have to stir it more often to keep from it sticking.

Zion's Chili
2-3 cups of dried beans cooked overnight in 6 cups of water or canned beans
1 lb. cooked turkey burger or hamburger
1/4-1/2 c. taco seasoning
1 can of tomatoes
1 grated carrot (I also used zucchini tonight)
1 grated apple (for sweetness, if you don't have an apple add a little sugar)
1 chopped green pepper
garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste.
 

Nathan served his mission in Alabama and gathered several southern recipes.  This cornbread recipe is the quintessential southern food!  I love to add fresh corn to it.
 

Southern Cornbread
1 c. flour
1 c. cornmeal (yellow or white)
1/3 c. sugar (optional)
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/4 c. melted butter
2 eggs, beaten
1 c. milk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees with a cast iron pan in it.  Mix all the ingredients.  Put a dollop of shortening in the pan until it is melted and then pour in the mixture.  Bake 18-22 minutes or until done.  It tastes better if you have a helper mix it up. 

Honey-butter is easy to make with equal parts honey and softened butter. 

Tip: Leftover chili is awesome on baked potatoes, and it freezes beautifully.  Sometimes I double a batch and freeze the extra for another meal.