Chili and Gluten Free Cornbread Muffins

We started having our neighbors over on Tuesday night for dinner. They are two bachelors who do not cook. I have been so blessed by cooking for them. I love entertaining even if it casual. I love feeding people. Especially easy, inexpensive, tasty meals. They are so appreciative and gobble it up. I love it!

Yesterday after Eric so beautifully built our new shelving in the garage( I am so thankful I have a handy husband). I scooted up to the pink house and cleaned and painted for final walk through, that is a whole other topic. I had soaked pink beans overnight and cooked them in the morning while I was home. I thought it would take two hours max, three hours later of cleaning and painting I was done and home only to find the guys were just walking in the door as I was. I knew what I was cooking but I needed to be quick.

I had planned Chili and Cornbread Muffins, what guy doesn't like that? I had made a pound of pink beans and took out half and froze it and used the rest.
I hurried up and made it in about a half hour while the kids and them hung out and talked. I used leftover taco meat/ground beef so that was easy and less cooking.
I usually use turkey but 90/10 beef was on sale.

Chili
14-16oz cooked pink beans
1 1/2 cups cooked ground beef
1/2 onion
1 green bell pepper
14 oz crushed tomatoes
14 oz diced tomatoes
cumin
garlic
salt
pepper

In a stock pot add beans, meat, tomatoes over medium heat. In a separate skillet add onions and bell pepper and cook for about five minutes over medium-high heat. (I did this last night because I needed it to cook fast.) Add onion and pepper mixture to stock pot and simmer until hot, about five-ten minutes. Add garlic, cumin, salt and pepper to taste. For those of you who need measurements, I probably use about 1/2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp garlic and literally salt and pepper to taste.
One more step if you like, I blend half of the chili and it gives it a nice texture of chunky and smooth.

I usually under season so that it is not too spicy for the kids and then Eric and I season our own bowls to our liking.
I made the chili while the cornbread muffins baked.

Gluten-Free Cornbread Muffins

1 1/2 cup Yellow Corn meal
1 cup Rice Flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum
1/4 cup sugar

Mix dry ingredients in a big bowl

Then in a small bowl combine

1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Pour liquid ingredients into the dry mixture. Mix until just blended. Let sit for five minutes.
Spoon in batter to greased/papered muffin tins, filling 3/4 full. Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.
or until tops are golden brown. Serve immediately with honey butter. Yields 12 muffins.


I used soy milk instead of buttermilk and it turns out fine if you are in a pinch without buttermilk.
You can make your own buttermilk with 1 Tb of lemon juice or vinegar in a measuring cup then fill with milk to make one cup.
Let stand for five minutes and you are set with buttermilk

I usually make vegetarian chili because meat is expensive.