Chili & Sun Dried Tomato Corn Muffins!

Good Evening! How has your weekend been? I hope you were able to do everything you wanted this weekend. I made some good progress and was able to get all of my shopping done, including getting the turkey...YA! It has been cold and rainy here all weekend - I love it! It has really put me in the mood for the Holidays. I knew today would be hectic and I didn't want to have to think too much about dinner tonight so I decided it would be a perfect day for crock pot chili. This recipe can be made in a regular pot if you do not own or use a crock pot, but I love being able to start this in the morning and know dinner will be ready and waiting for us. I made this particular batch of chili really spicy, but all you need to do to make it less spicy (if you are not a spice person) is to use the seasoning packet that is mild or regular. I use the HOT! I love spicy food and of course I love my chili to be hot! I paired this with a sun dried tomato corn muffin. I got the recipe from Giada off of food network. These are tasty! I ended up popping it on top of the chili and decided it was a good pair. I personally like a little sour cream in my chili, but you can top your chili with whatever you want. Red onion, shredded cheese, sour cream...these are all very good and suitable toppings depending on your preferences. Oh and in case you are wondering why in the world I would use a seasoning pack instead of just seasonings, well it's quick and convenient and I love the flavor it gives.

Chili -
1 can of black beans
2 cans of chili beans
1 can of pinto beans - drained
1 can of kidney beans - drained
1 small can of tomato sauce
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 packet of McCormick's chili seasoning - Regular, Mild, or Hot
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 lb. of organic beef or you can use lean ground turkey
3-4 cloves of garlic - chopped and minced
1 onion - diced

Add all of the ingredients - except for the meat, the onion, and the garlic- into the crock pot and turn to low. Add a little bit of extra virgin olive oil in a pan and turn the heat on to medium. Add in your diced onion and let saute a minute or two and add your meat. Allow the meat to cook for a bit and start to brown and add in the garlic. Just be sure to stir often so that your garlic doesn't burn. Allow your meat to brown and cook for about 10-12 minutes or so. You just want the meat to cook through. Pour that into the crock pot and stir. Keep it set on low and leave it to do its thing! You can turn it on high for an hour or two before you are ready to eat, but this is not necessary.





For the sun dried tomato corn muffin - recipe from Giada
2 boxes of Jiffy Corn muffin mix
2 cups of corn (1 can)
3 cloves of garlic
2/3 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes (from an 8-ounce jar)
2/3 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup of low fat sour cream
2 eggs

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 2 muffin tins. ( or you can use the muffin liners if you prefer but they do tend to stick a little to the paper)In a large bowl combine the muffin mix, corn, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes. Stir to combine. In a small bowl whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, and eggs until well blended. Add the buttermilk mixture to the muffin mix. Stir to combine. Spoon the mix into the muffin tins, filling up the cups about halfway. Bake until golden brown on top, about 15 minutes.