Friday, November 14, 2008

Allison's Chili

Finally, my search for a good chili recipe is over. My friend, Allison, made this for our last camping trip, and it was perfect! It's just your basic chili recipe...very easy and very delicious!

Allison's Chili

2 lbs lean ground beef, cooked and drained
28 oz can tomato sauce
2-16 oz cans diced tomatoes
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can pinto beans, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1-2 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 to 1 Tbsp cumin
1.5 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Brown beef in skillet. Drain fat. In large stockpot, combine meat, tomato sauce, tomatoes and beans. Add seasoning. Start with smaller amount and adjust as needed. Simmer for an hour or so to let flavors combine. Serve with fritos and grated cheddar cheese.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Cornbread Dressing

This is a holiday favorite. I always thought it was complicated, but it's really not.

Cornbread Dressing

6 cups cornbread, crumbled
2 cups breadcrumbs (use biscuits or toasted bread)
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 stick butter
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp sage
pepper to taste
salt to taste
4 cups chicken broth
2 eggs

Bake cornbread and let cool. (My mother-in-law uses those corn kit pkgs, but I make my Nana's cornbread). Toast bread and let cool completely. I like to use my food processor to grind up the cornbread and toast into crumbs, but you can crumble it with your hands. Combine in large bowl and set aside.

Saute onion and celery in butter for 2-3 minutes.

Add sauteed mixture to crumb mixture and stir in poultry seasoning and sage, salt and pepper. At this point, taste and adjust seasoning. Add eggs and broth and mix well. If it seems dry, add more broth, or even some water. You want it to be moist, but not soupy.

Pour into lightly greased casserole dish and bake at 375 for 30-45 minutes.

**I usually double or triple this. One batch isn't enough for leftovers!