Makin' a Quick Week-night Dinner

Gentle Friends since today is Friday and I have already showed my progress on the Hallowe'en piece I didn't want to let today go without a post.... I was even thinking about it yesterday wondering what I could share or talk about today.  Last night - or I should say on the way home from work I usually get the question from Rico "what's for dinner?" or more precisely  "what are You making for dinner?" - the you being me and what am I going to make.  I usually have some smart-ass remark to make in return and then start thinking about ... what am I going to make for dinner.  Well, he came up with a dinner suggestion, his quick and easy week-night chili - and I could make the easy cornbread.  What a good idea!! We basically had all the stuff in the house to make it so why not.... and I took some snaps along the way......

... for weeknight chili - here are the basic things needed - Rico starts off by browning a pound or so of hamburger from the freezer (we always have some packed up read to go) and got out the most important piece of equipment....

... to the browned meat he will add the TJ chili and the drained can of summer crisp corn.  Although he can make an all day type of chili with deep resonate flavours, in a pinch or for weeknights this easy chili is quite good!!

The easy cornbread I made starts off with the measured mix from TJ  - I jazz it up a bit with a large chopped onion, the largest jalapeno I can find (with the seeds and white membranes removed) chopped up...

I also use 4 cloves of garlic chopped...

Now, I get out my deep chicken frying skillet and melt a tablespoon or so of bacon grease, and then toss in the garlic first - to flavour the grease.....

... it browns up fast, so I toss in the other vegetables quickly...

... turn the heat down quite a bit to saute...  while that's working on the stove I get to mixing up the batter.  The box calls for 1 egg ( I use two) 1/2 C oil and 3/4 C milk.  We don't keep milk in the house as neither of us like it - I will only buy some if I am going to use it baking and then only small amounts - so I improvise this ingredient.... I take a cup measure and fill it half full of sour cream (we always have sour cream) and then thin it out with water to a full cup measure - and it this works for me and this recipe.  You mix all the eggs oil and "milk" together and then pour it over the dry mix....

... you mix this till it just comes together then add the cooked vegetables......

.... I don't clean the skillet (why clean when you can re-use) - I plop another tablespoon of bacon grease into the pan ....

and then put the skillet into the preheating oven to melt the grease and get really hot.....

Once the skillet is hot and the batter is ready and mixed thoroughly, I take the skillet out of the oven and immediately pour the batter into the hot pan....

... the skillet immediately goes back into the hot oven and bakes for about 50 minutes or so until done.....

... hot out of the oven and crispy around the edges - it's moist and flavourful, I hate dried out bland cornbread!!  I let it sit for a few minutes while the chili heats back up.  Then turn it out of the skillet and hack up some slices....

....  with a bowl of chili - on a cold SF Summer evening - it's a treat!!  And, there is plenty left over for the weekend, eliminating the need to cook at least one night!!

 With both of us working at it dinner was on the table in about an hour - 

now you can't beat that with a stick!!

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That's about it for today sports fans.  Have a super weekend - 

and I'll announce the winner of the Gift-a-way on Monday morning!!

Take care,

edgar