Ghost Chili and Corn Bread

This was the perfect meal for yet another cold night. Spring where are you? Hearty, savory, and a little spicy, with delicious corn bread sprinkled on top, this just "hit the spot". The prep work was minimal. Any time tied up in this dinner is really just baking and simmering. Not at all labor intensive. I found both recipes while exploring on Tasty Kitchen. The name "Ghost Chili" is what first caught my attention. After reading through the recipe, I thought that this creamy chili would be nicely complimented with corn bread. I was off and searching again. One of the first recipes that appeared on the site when I searched "corn bread" was this recipe called "Cornbread For Your Chili". Since that's precisely what I wanted, I decided that I'd better make this one. Plus, the community member that submitted this recipe described it as such: This tasty cornbread recipe is one with which to win friends and influence people. It is perfect to crumble in the bottom of a bowl of chili. This must be some powerful cornbread. Her sales pitch made me smile. It was worth a try.


I cut the recipe in half because I had 1/2 lb. of already cooked, cut-up chicken breast in my freezer and just enough of the other ingredients to make it happen for dinner. To begin, you heat a little oil in your pot and then toss in chopped onion, chicken, and garlic powder. Cook until the onion is tender and the chicken is no longer pink.



Then dump in some broth, beans, green chilies, and spices and simmer for 30 minutes.



Before serving, stir in sour cream and whipping cream. I used low fat sour cream and half and half. I wanted to try it with fat free half and half, but I needed to use my already open carton of half and half first. Next time... I'm sure the fat free will been fine. With the spices and other ingredients, it's a flavorful chili and we probably won't miss the fat.



I sprinkled a little chopped cilantro over top of mine.



Oh, and then there was the cornbread. Seriously good...but not so good for you.

Again, this came together quickly. Just stir together self-rising cornmeal, eggs, cream style corn, onion, sour cream, and sugar. I didn't have any self-rising cornmeal in my pantry, so I dumped in a box of Jiffy corn muffin mix. As a result my cornbread was more dense and a little less crumbly, but it was still SO good!



Now dump in a stick of melted butter. See, I told you it wasn't going to be good for you.



I poured mine into an 8X8 inch pan.



After 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven, it was perfectly golden brown.



Here's a close up. The chopped onion and little bits of corn really made this for me.



The chili was even better with that corn bread crumbled over top.



Three cheers for Tasty Kitchen! I'm going to have to join the community over there. Good stuff!

Ghost Chili original recipe found HERE on Tasty Kitchen

Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 45 Minutes Servings: 8 Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
•1 pound Chicken Breast, Cubed
•1 whole Medium Onion, Chopped
•1-½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
•1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
•2 cans (15.5 Oz) Great Northern Beans, Rinsed And Drained
•1 can (14.5 Oz) Chicken Broth
•2 cans (4 Oz.) Chopped Green Chilies
•1 teaspoon Salt
•1 teaspoon Cumin
•1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
•½ teaspoons Black Pepper
•¼ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
•1 cup Sour Cream
•½ cups Whipping Cream

Preparation Instructions
Heat oil in a large pot. Saute chicken, onion, and garlic powder until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies, and seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and cream.

If you like your chili very mild, reduce the amount of chilies to 1 can, or rinse and drain the chilies well.

To make a less rich, healthier version, use 2 cups sour cream and 1/4 cup milk.

(Or you could use low fat sour cream and fat free half and half)




Cornbread For Your Chili original recipe found HERE on Tasty Kitchen

Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: 40 Minutes Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

•1 stick Salted Butter
•1 cup Self-rising Cornmeal (if You Can Find It--self Rising Cornmeal Mix Will Work, Too)
•½ cups Cream Style Corn
•1 cup Sour Cream
•1 Tablespoon Sugar
•2 whole Eggs
•1 whole Small Onion Chopped

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the stick of butter in a small baking dish (see note below), and place in the oven.

In a small bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients. When the butter is melted, mix it into the batter. Pour the batter back into the casserole and bake for 40 minutes.

Note: this recipe is for a small baking dish. I used a 7 x 11 dish, and it was perfect (an 8 x 8 would work, too). If you use a standard 9 x 13 dish, double the recipe.

To print this recipe click here!