Hearty Chili and Cornbread Bake

A warm and cozy meal for a wintery Saturday evening at home with the kiddos!

Chili:
2 lbs stew beef, cubed small
2 16 oz cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed (I chose red and white)
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 medium red bell pepper, rough chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes (with juice)
8 oz your favorite beer (I chose Sam Adams because the lager flavor goes well with the chili spices)
1 cup shredded cheese
2 packets chili seasoning
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp sugar
2 TBSP cornstarch
2 TBSP olive oil

Cornbread:
2 boxes Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
2 eggs
2/3 cup + 2 TBSP milk
1 cup shredded cheese
1 jalepeno pepper, diced small

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and prep a 13x9 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. I also line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil in case of bubble-over and slide it under my dish.

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add in onion and red pepper, cook until onion begins to become translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute, then add your beef and cook until browned, 8-10 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and beans. Stir well to combine then add your seasoning packets, cumin, sugar and beer.





Stir well and cook until it begins to bubble, about 3-4 minutes.

In a seperate bowl, take a few spoonfuls of the chili liquid from the pot and combine with cornstarch. Pour this mixture back into the chili and stir. Remove from heat, until chili begins to thicken, 5-6 minutes.


While chili is thickening, add all your cornbread ingredients together into a bowl and mix until well combined.



Pour the chili into the baking dish and sprinkle with a cup of shredded cheese.
Top with the cornbread mixture and spread with a spatula to cover it evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Mmmmmm, was this ever good!