Slow cooker chili and cornbread muffins

I have just returned from a work trip in Baltimore and I'm pooped. Yes friend, I had my fill of delicious, fresh seafood while in Baltimore! 


I've returned to a cold and rainy Colorado, with snow accumulating in cities over 6,000 feet in elevation. Ahhhh! I'm not ready for snow...give me another month or so.


I only left the house to go to the library. It was the perfect day to read, nap, and make spicy chili and buttery cornbread muffins. 


Get your slow cooker out and let's begin. To spice things up, I use a combo of chili powder, cumin, and cayenne.

Brown your meat in the skillet on medium. I used ground beef, but you can use ground turkey or chicken.

 Here's your lineup for the beans and tomatoes.

Set your slow cooker on low. Add the beans (with juices), tomatoes, tomato juice and ground beef to the slow cooker.

Stir it up, little darlin', stir it up. Thank you Bob Marley.

Slice and dice the onion, jalapeno, and garlic cloves.

Saute the onion, jalapeno, and garlic until softened. Do you smell that?! Oh wow.

Add the mix to your slow cooker and give it a good stir. 

Let the chili cook on low for 4-5 hours. If it cooks for 8 hours, that's fine too! While it's cooking, let's move on to the cornbread muffins. Get two bowls ready, one for your dry ingredients, and one for the wet ingredients. 

In the dry bowl, add cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.

 In the wet bowl, add lightly beaten eggs, buttermilk, and melted butter.
 Slowly pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

I decided to make mine into cornbread muffins. They're easier for traveling. Pour mix into muffin pan, fill about 3/4 full. Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Get your fixins out such as cheddar cheese and sour cream. Or saltines or oyster crackers or butter crackers. I'm not a cracker person. My fixins for the cornbread muffins include butter and honey. Enjoy!

P.S. I also had a lovely Hoptober Golden Ale from New Belgium Brewery alongside of my spicy chili and cornbread muffin. I felt they went quite nicely together. 

Recipe- Slow Cooker Chili

1 25 oz can Pinto beans (with juices)

1 25 oz can Kidney beans (with juices)

1 28 oz can Diced tomatoes

1 5.5 oz Tomato juice from concentrate

1 lb ground beef

2 tbsp chili powder

1/4 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 white onion, diced

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

1-2 garlic cloves, diced

1 cup of water (you can use beer or broth-chicken, beef or vegetable)

Turn your slow cooker to low. Add beans, tomatoes, tomato juice, and 1 cup of water. In the skillet, brown the beef on medium heat. Add beef to the slow cooker, discard of grease, if needed. Dice the onion, jalapeno, and garlic. Add to the skillet that the beef was in and saute until fragrant and softened. Add to the slow cooker. Add in your spices, including cumin, chili powder, and cayenne. Cook on low for 4-5 hours, longer is fine as well.

Recipe- Cornbread Muffins 

recipe from Paula Deen @ www.pauladeen.com

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus butter for baking dish
1 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Dry bowl: Mix cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

Wet bowl: Stir melted butter, eggs, and buttermilk.

Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Fold together, batter will be lumpy. Pour batter into muffin tins, approximately 3/4 full. Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes.