Country Kitchen Recipes: Cowboy Chili

Confession time, ever since I can remember I've always been a sucker for a good cowboy movie and a good recipe. My wife knows me all to well and in 2001 she bought me this cowboy cookbook featuring recipes from legendary cowboys both on and off the screen (see pic on the left).

Rabbit trail: In 2003 the two of us spent a week in Colorado Springs where we further indulged in my cowboy fascination at the Flying W Ranch supping on BBQ beef, cornbread, and cowboy coffee. The evening was topped off with cowboy music reminiscent of Sons of the Pioneers.

Back to the main story: So today was rainy and cold, perfect chili day! The business manager at the non profit radio station I work at makes a mean chili recipe and I had her email it to me, but today I couldn't find it. While I'm searching for this recipe suddenly I remember this cowboy cookbook and figured I'd just use a recipe out of that book. After a few minutes of searching, I found a great basic recipe by Gene Autrey. Folks who know me know I can't leave well enough alone so I tweaked the recipe to my liking. Below is the recipe I ended up with...

2lbs of hamburger (seasoned with salt, pepper, smoked paprika and Worcestershire sauce)
1-28 oz can of Laura Lynn crushed tomatoes with Italian seasoning
1-16 oz can of Laura Lynn chopped tomatoes
1- 16 oz can of chili beans
1-16 oz can of black beans
1-16 oz can of sweet corn
1 - 4 oz can of mild green chilis
2 tablespoons of chili powder
5 - 1/4 teaspoons of garlic powder (each one equals a clove so you can use 5 fresh cloves if you choose)
1 medium onion

After browning the hamburger, put it all the ingredients in a crock pot to simmer. You can freeze what you don't eat. Usually this recipe gives me four 2-serving meals.

To compliment the meal, you can serve the chili with a spoonful of sour cream and some Laura Lynn shredded sharp cheddar cheese. And if you'd rather skip the greasy, salty corn chips -- serve with skillet corn bread using Martha White Hot Rize corn meal.

1 cup Martha White corn meal with Hot Rize (for goodness sake!)
1/3 cup AP flour
2/3 cup sugar (for the yankees)
1 cup milk or buttermilk
1 egg beaten

Pour this into a well seasoned and greased skillet and bake at 400 for 30 minutes (in a small cast iron skillet -- 20 minutes for a larger skillet)

While whipping up this delicious Country Kitchen meal, I recommend putting on some good ole fashioned Bluegrass -- anything with Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatt, Ralph Stanley, or Bill Monroe!