Cheyenne from Girl v. The World is here to share her recipes for Texas Chili and Mexican Cornbread.
One of the things I love most about fall is that I get to start making soups, stews, and, especially, chili for dinner. They are SO EASY to make and they make a delicious, hearty meal. And, bonus, my kids always love chili!
Here in Texas, we take our chili pretty seriously. Most people love a little spice in their chili, but I’m super sensitive to spice so I can’t handle it. What I love is when I can find a chili with great flavor and a lot of depth so even if there’s no spice, it’s still delicious. That’s why I love my mama’s Texas chili recipe. And any good Texan knows that you can’t have chili without cornbread. Am I right?
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1 15-ounce can kidney beans with liquid
- 1 15-ounce can pinto beans with liquid
- 1 29-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1/2 cup diced green chilies (or 1/4 cup canned chilies)
- 1/4 cup chopped celery
- 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 cups water
- Brown beef over medium heat and drain fat.
- Combine all ingredients, including beef, in a large pot.
- Cook on low heat, stirring every 15 minutes, for 2-3 hours. Or add all ingredients (after cooking the beef) in a crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
This recipe is so easy. First you will want to brown your ground beef over medium heat and drain the fat. 
Then you combine all the other ingredients in a big pot, put the beef back in too, and simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 hours. Or you can combine all the ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. DONE.
Now, for the sake of my marriage, I can’t leave my husband without a little spice in his chili dinner. So I love to add this Mexican cornbread to the meal because it has jalapeños and if you only use 1/2 of one (like I do), it’s not too hot for me but the hubby gets his little spice kick in. Win-win.
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 1 small can creamed corn
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1 onion, minced
- jalapeños to taste
- Mix everything except grated cheese and jalapeños.
- Pour 1/2 the batter into a greased 9-inche pie pan.
- Sprinkle cheese and jalapeños on top.
- Pour remaining batter on top and bake at 350 for 40 minutes.
This recipe is a little more involved but worth the effort. 
First you’ll want to mix all the ingredients in a large bowl except the grated cheese and jalapeños. 
Pour half the batter into a greased 9-inch pie pan. Sprinkle the grated cheese and diced jalapeños over the batter. 
Then pour the rest of the batter on top and bake at 350 for about 40 minutes.
Wasn’t that easy? And doesn’t it look delicious? Believe me, it is! Don’t forget to top your chili with any fixin’s you deem worthy: cheese, sour cream, jalapeños, crushed tortilla chips…whatever your heart desires! Yum!
Sounds good!