Chili and Cornbread Waffles
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Nothing is better on a cold night than hot chili! This recipe combines delicious chili with cornbread waffles, a combination I first saw on Pinterest years ago! My husband loves cornbread and waffles, so this combination was a match made in heaven for him! This recipe is definitely hearty comfort food, and, unlike a lot of my recipes, I use mixes for both elements!
When I asked my Grandmommy once time why she liked to use Pillsbury Pie Crust and Duncan Hines cake mix (when I knew she had made them all from scratch on mulitiple occasions), she said, “I can’t make it better than they can!”. She also had 4 children and many times we need a shortcut that is simple and just as tasty!
I know that chili is an art- where I live there are chili competitions and every family seems to have their own secret chili recipe. The men get involved in the chili-making as well, which I love! Some chili is mild and some sets your mouth on fire! You can get so creative with chili- you can put it on hot dogs, hamburgers, fries, baked potatoes, on cornbread waffles, or served in a bowl with some cheese and tortilla chips!
My family doesn’t have a secret chili recipe! We use good ol’ French’s Chili-O and the recipe on the back of the packet! We do, however, add a 15 oz can of tomato sauce to make it a smoother, less chunky, consistency!
When it comes to cornbread, I love Jiffy! When I have more time (maybe when my kids get older!) I’m going to experiment with making my own cornbread, but, for now, Jiffy is my go-to! Sometimes I will make corn muffins and sometimes I’ll bake it in my 8 inch cast iron skillet and cut it into wedges! It is SO yummy! For these waffles, though, you will follow the recipe on the box, but you will double the amount of milk! The batter needs to be somewhat runny for the waffle iron!
Whenever I make this recipe, I always start with the chili! Once the chili is cooking for 10 minutes, then I will start making the cornbread waffles! It is a lot easier to keep chili warm than to keep cornbread waffles warm!
When both elements are done, you simply spoon the chili over the waffle and add your favorite toppings! I like cheese and chives, but you can also add sour cream, cilantro or pico de gallo! Make a toppings bar for your family to build their own at dinner!
Without further ado, here is the recipe!
What You Will Need:
Soup Pot
Spatula or Wooden Spoon
Cast Iron or Nonstick Skillet
Waffle Iron (I like making smaller waffles because they tend to be softer and fluffier-this is the waffle iron I have)
Mixing Bowl
Small Whisk/Spatula
Scoop or Measuring Cup
Tongs or fork
Ingredients:
1 lb ground chuck
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can kidney beans, undrained
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 packet Chili-O
2 boxes Jiffy Cornbread Mix
2 eggs
1 1/3 cup milk
Toppings (cheese, chives, sour cream, etc)
Directions:
Step 1: In a skillet over medium heat, brown the ground chuck. Drain the fat and place the cooked meat in the bottom of the soup pot.
Step 2: Add diced tomatoes, kidney beans, tomato sauce and Chili-O seasoning and stir until combined.
Step 3: Heat to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes! (If waffles aren’t finished yet at the end of 10 minutes, put lid on and reduce heat to low to keep chili warm!)
Step 4: Preheat the waffle iron. This just means you need to plug it in for a few minutes before using it so the waffle iron is hot when you put the batter in it!
Step 5: In a mixing bowl, whisk together 2 eggs and the 1 1/3 cup of milk until foamy.
Step 6: Add 2 boxes of Jiffy cornbread mix and stir to combine. Mixture should be mostly smooth, but its okay if there are small lumps- this will help with the rising of the cornbread!
Step 7: Put about 1/3 of a cup of cornbread mix into the waffle iron and cook until the light goes off (you may need to add more or less batter depending on the size of your waffle iron).
Step 8: Once the cornbread waffle is done, remove with tongs or a fork onto a plate!
Step 9: Repeat steps 7 and 8 until there is no more batter left!
Step 10: Once all of the cornbread waffles are finished, place one waffle on a plate and spoon chili on top! Add desired toppings and enjoy!
Curl up next to a warm fire, turn on your favorite movie and enjoy!