In November I made a batch of chili for a dinner party and then froze individual servings to take to my dad on my next visit (he lives a looong drive away).  I made quite a few meals for that trip: pot roast, pasta e fagioli soup, and beef stew.

This trip, he had a few requests, and Chili and Cornbread were top of his list. So I made and packaged four servings.  As promised, here’s that recipe:

Quick and Easy Chili

• 1 lb ground beef***
• 3-5 Jalapenos finely chopped (depending on heat)
• 1/2 green pepper chopped
• 1/2 sweet onion chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic crushed and chopped
• 16 oz V8 Juice (I use the spicy version)
• 3 cans kidney beans drained and rinsed*
• 1 can Original Ro-Tel
• 2 Tbsp chili powder (more as desired)
• 1 Tsp cumin
• 1/2 Tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp paprika

Brown ground beef and drain. Saute jalapenos, green pepper, onion, and garlic. In a large pot, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered for at least 30 minutes.

Slow Cooker instructions:  Following the instructions above, add everything to slow cooker, cook on high for 15 minutes, reduce heat to low, and let simmer for 6 to 8 hours.

***you can easily make this recipe vegetarian by omitting the ground beef.  Just as yummy. You can also replace it with a meat substitute or mushrooms, lentils or even rice.

Skillet Cornbread

There are many variations on cornbread, this one is pretty basic.

• 1 cup flour
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• ¼ cup butter or oil

1 large bowl,  cast iron skillet or 9×9 baking dish, greased

Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt, add cornmeal, mix well. Add eggs, milk, and oil. Beat with a mixer until smooth (do not overbeat). Pour into the skillet or baking dish and bake at 425° for 20-25 minutes. Light brown on top, toothpick should come out clean.

Serve with honey, maple syrup and a side of collard greens.