Note, this is not a vegetarian recipe and probably a little high in sodium for some of you, but it’s also a super quick, easy, and delicious meal that makes amazing leftovers.\u00a0 And if you’re craving something hearty and warm, this is your meal.<\/p>\n
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You will need:<\/p>\n
-1 lb ground beef.\u00a0 I use 96\/4, I suggest the leanest stuff you have available, it’s plenty flavorful with everything else in there.<\/p>\n
-2 small jalepenos (or less if you fear the spicy)<\/p>\n
-about half a large onion<\/p>\n
-a few cloves of garlic to taste.<\/p>\n
-chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper to taste<\/p>\n
Saute the onions, garlic, and jalapenos in a pan (I usually just use a little spray butter).\u00a0 When it smells divine, throw in the beef and brown it.\u00a0 Near the end, throw in your spices to taste.\u00a0 You can also add them later, so err on the side of caution here.<\/p>\n
Then, in a big pot, add:<\/p>\n
-a 6oz can of tomato sauce<\/p>\n
-3 cans of beans.\u00a0 I chose ranch style black beans, ranch style jalapeno pinto beans, and southwest style kidney beans.\u00a0 Note: this is the part that’s a bit high sodium.\u00a0 You could use beans without sauce but you might need to add another can of tomato sauce and tinker with it.\u00a0 I leave that to you!<\/p>\n
-a can of corn.\u00a0 Frozen works too.<\/p>\n
-a square and a half of chocolate.\u00a0 We have this fancy schmancy jalapeno chocolate we got years ago, but no need – I would say about 2 hershey kisses or a handful of chocolate chips would work just fine.<\/p>\n
Put these together, bring to a slow bubbly boil, and then simmer until it comes together.\u00a0 Honestly, it can’t really go too long but I’d suggest at least 20 mins.<\/p>\n
Top with cilantro, green onions, and you can also add other yummies like some ranch, shredded cheese, or sour cream.<\/p>\n
Cornbread:<\/strong><\/p>\n Zliten used to tell me that chili and cornbread was yummy together, and I didn’t believe him.\u00a0 Then, I tried it and crazy enough, it was good!\u00a0 Again, going with the super easy theme, we snagged a package of Marie Calendar’s Low Fat Southwestern Cornbread from Big Lots.\u00a0\u00a0 It’s a little spicy, and it’s not quite as sweet as the normal cornbread, which I like, but most importantly, all you have to do is add water and mix and cook.<\/p>\n The first time we made it in loaf form, as you can see above, but let me suggest mini-muffins – they’re the perfect size for a bowl.<\/p>\n The pictures are from a few weeks ago, but we just remade it this afternoon for lunch.\u00a0 I’m about to dive into a bowl of it!\u00a0 Yum!<\/p>\n Deep thoughts return tomorrow…<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net\/hphotos-ak-snc3\/hs203.snc3\/21080_230227919449_789139449_2943289_5330709_n.jpg\")
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