Oh Yeah It’s a Chili Day!

Every year on the fourth Thursday in February (that would be today) the powers that be declare the day to be National Chili Day. You would think, as a fan of Chili, that I would have shared so many amazing recipes to celebrate the day that you screamed Enough already!

Guess what, in all the years we’ve been puttering in the kitchen together, we’ve only celebrated Chili Day twice before. Hum, that doesn’t seem right. I wonder what we’ve found more important on the fourth and possibly last Thursday of February. In my defense, the first time we shared a bowl of Chili on National Chili Day, it was a special although be it unlikely recipe. Long before Celebrity Chefs such as Bobby Flay or Gordon Ramsay were household names, another kind of celebrity shared their skills in the kitchen. Phyllis Diller actually had a line of canned chilies, using her recipe. Yeah, while not the Galloping Gourmet of her day, Phyllis Diller Chili is delicious. Although to be honest, I didn’t even know about her venture into the culinary world until years later when her recipe was reprised in a book to raise funds for Meals on Wheels. My sister had given me the cook book as a Christmas gift, and I knew I had to give Ms Driller’s chili a try.

Over the years in addition to the recipes posted for National Chili Day I’ve shared 19 more recipes for Chili, just not on this day. I guess we need to circle back to what the Fourth Thursday in February is all about – Chili. And what would Chili Day be without cornbread?

Beefy Kidney Bean and Tomato Chili
1 Yellow Onion
2 Garlic Cloves
1 lb Ground Beef
1 tablespoon New Mexican Red Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Mexican Oregano
1 teaspoon Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Salt
Hot Pepper Sauce to taste
1 (14 oz) can Diced Tomatoes
1/2 cup Beef Stock
1 (19 oz) can Red Kidney Beans
Shredded Cheddar Cheese, optional

Cut onion in half from root to tip. Peel and dice, reserving half of the diced onions as a garnish. Peel and mince garlic. Set aside.

In a 3-quart saucepan, cook beef, onions and garlic over medium heat, about 10 minutes. Break meat apart as it brown. Drain well, return to the pot.

Season with red chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper sauce. Add tomatoes with juices and beef stock. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat just enough to maintain a gentle bubble. Cover, cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Add kidney beans with liquid. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce again to maintain a gentle bubble. Cook, uncovered, for about 20 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Let simmer until desired thickness is achieved.

Lade Chili into bowls, top with reserved diced onions. Perfect with Sweet Corn Cake Muffins.

Sweet Corn Cake Muffins
8 tablespoons Butter
1 large Jalapeño Pepper
2 cups Flour
1 cup Yellow Cornmeal
1-1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 cup Sugar
2 large Eggs
3/4 cup Sour Cream
1/2 cup Milk
1-1/2 cups FROZEN Corn

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position. Heat oven to 400-degrees. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners, set aside. Melt butter, allow to cool. Seed and finely dice Jalapeño Pepper.

Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and sugar in a bowl to combine. Set aside.

In a second bowl whisk eggs until well combined and a pale light yellow, about 30 seconds. Add melted butter in 3 additions, whisking to combine after each addition. Add half of the sour cream and half of the milk, whisk well. Whisk in remaining sour cream and milk until combined.

Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, folding gently with a rubber spatula until batter is just combined and evenly moist. DO NOT over-mix. Gently fold in FROZEN corn and diced Jalapeño.

Using a cupcake scoop, divide patter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Allow muffins to mound.

Place tin in the heated oven to bake until muffins are light, golden and a tester comes out almost clean, about 18 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking time.

Let muffins cool for a few minutes in the tin. Serve warm with butter as desired.

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