Cornbread, Chili, and Cheese

I made a  spicy chili yesterday just in time to eat today.  It always seems to taste better a day later, once the ingredients have had time to marry and get to know one another. The recipe is below.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 lbs lean ground beef
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced (or 3 tsp ground garlic)
• 2 (10 oz) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1/2 c beef broth
• 2tbsp chili powder
• 2 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp paprika
• 3 tsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground red pepper
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 (15 oz) can light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Serve topped with:

Cheddar and Monterrey Jack cheese, sour cream, chopped red or green onions, cilantro, roasted peppers, or hot sauce

Optionally serve with:

fresh cornbread, baked russet potatoes, saltine crackers or corn chips

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large and deep non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add onion and saute 3 minutes, then add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer. Pour onions into a 6 or 7 quart slow cooker.

Return skillet to medium-high eat, add beef and cook stirring occasionally until beef has browned. Drain most of fat from beef, leaving about 2 Tbsp in with beef (this is optional, I think it ads flavor but you can drain it all if you'd prefer). Pour browned beef into slow cooker.

Add dry ingredients to a small jar, tighten the lid, and shake well to mix. Pour dry mixture on top of meat, onions, and garlic, and stir.

Add diced tomatoes with chilies, tomato sauce, and 1/2 cup water or beef broth, and kidney beans. Stir mixture, cover with lid and cook on low heat overnight. In the morning, turn temperature to warm. Eat for lunch or dinner. Chili is always better if it has a chance to rest before eating.

Enjoy!

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Tauna