Sweet & Spicy Chili with the World's Best Corn Muffins

Hi guys!  Today I am going to share one of my kids' favorite meals with you -- chili and cornbread.  I'm really proud of myself for making up my own chili recipe on the fly one day years ago. It was born out of procrastination and a lack of desire to run to the store. I needed to take chili to a church square dance & chili dinner. All of my recipes required "special" ingredients that I don't just keep around so I scrounged in my pantry to see what I could dump in my crock pot. It's nothing fancy, but it has become our family's favorite chili.

 Amy's Very Own Sweet & Spicy Chili

2.5 lb. ground beef
3 onions, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, pressed, grated -- whatever you do with garlic
3 cans Ro-Tel tomatoes
3 cans chili beans (not just kidney beans -- the can says "Chili Beans')
1/2 C. brown sugar

Brown ground beef with onions in large skillet.Add garlic toward the end.  Drain fat and dump in crock pot. Add Ro-Tel, chili beans and brown sugar . Stir and cook on low all day or on high for a couple hours if, like me, you forget to turn on your crock pot in the morning. Evert time. You could also just heat it up on the stove. Serves 8-10.

If you prefer a milder version, just use mild Ro-Tel or plain diced canned tomatoes instead of the regular Ro-Tel.  Of course, we always serve this chili with a batch of the WORLD'S BEST corn bread.  You heard me.  World's best.  

World's Best Corn Muffins

2 boxes of Jiffy Corn Muffin mix {the cheap ones!}

2 boxes Jiffy Golden Yellow Cake mix {substitute half of a normal cake mix if you can't find this in your stores.  I think Walmart carries it.}

2 eggs

2/3 C water

1 C. milk

1/2 C. oil

Preheat oven to 400º. Mix all ingredients until well blended.  Pour batter into lined or greased muffin tins. Bake 15-20 minutes until golden on top.

I learned this cool trick from my mom. Adding the cake mix to the muffins makes them so much moister and lighter than normal cornbread.  It is the perfect side dish for spicy chili. Now, here's a cool trick I learned from my dad -- smother the leftover cornbread in butter and syrup for breakfast.  I prefer that to pancakes any day! 

Have a great day, friends!

Amy