Cheap Meals: Crockpot Chili & Cornbread

Cheap meals are good.  Really easy, cheap meals are even better.  With fall comes a craving for chili 'round here, so I put on a crock full of my regular recipe before bed Monday night.

I was feeling adventurous, though, and tried a little something different.  To be honest, I wasn't sure it would even work.  I mean, theoretically it should work, but I had lingering doubts. 

Could I throw some cornbread batter on top of the chili and bake it in the Crockpot?

Yes, yes I certainly could.



Crockpot Chili & Cornbread
serves 6-8

Turn a 5qt or larger Crockpot on low heat.  Add 1lb of ground beef straight from the freezer.
Yes, you can put frozen ground beef in a Crockpot and it doesn't screw anything up.
Add two 14.5oz cans of diced tomatoes, juice and all. 
If you prefer no beans or canned beans, add two tomato cans of water.  If you want to have flavorful beans that simmer with the meat and seasonings, add 3 cups of water and 1 cup dry beans.
Add a chopped up onion.
Add 2 - 3 tablespoons of chili powder, 2 shots of Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons minced garlic, a tablespoon of cumin, a tablespoon of cocoa powder, a teaspoon of oregano, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, a shake of cayenne pepper, and a teaspoon of salt.  If you like your chili spicy, add minced hot peppers, hot sauce, or additional cayenne & some red pepper flake to your preference.
Stir it up as best you can. Put the cover on the Crockpot and let it cook on low for 8 hours.  It's best to do this right before you go to bed.
After 8 hours, stir the chili well to break up the beef and if it looks a little dry add some more water.  If you're using canned beans, add a can of those now.  Add a package of frozen corn (or a can of corn, drained), stir well, and taste to see if it needs any more seasoning.  A pinch of salt or maybe some more hot sauce is usually all you'll need.
Now the chili can sit there and cook for 8-10 more hours just fine if you need to go to work or something.  So go ahead and do that, but if you're using dry beans add another cup of water to be on the safe side.

An hour before you want to eat the chili, get yourself a box of Jiffy cornbread mix and prepare it according to the directions on the box.  Add 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese to the batter.

Then just take a spoon and plop the batter directly on top of the chili in your Crockpot.  Try to put in on there somewhat evenly, but it doesn't have to be perfect.  After another hour cooking on low heat, the batter will have spread out to create a delicious cornbread crust over top of the chili, nicely browned around the edges and soft and moist in the middle.

Scoop the chili into bowls with the cornbread part on top and enjoy!

Price breakdown for non-heavy coupon use:
1lb ground beef:  $1.99-2.19 (as always, buy on sale in bulk and freeze in 1lb portions)
2 cans tomatoes: $.50-2.00 (buy on sale when you can, but you can usually find these for about a buck each)
1 cup beans or 1 can beans: $1-1.25
1 package frozen corn $1-1.50
Spices/seasonings/onion: $1.50-2.00
Jiffy mix prepared with milk and 1 egg: $1.25-1.50
1/2 cup cheese: $.10-.50
Total cost: $7.34-10.94, per serving cost $1.22-1.82 (six servings) or $.92-1.37 (eight servings)

You shouldn't need much more to round out this meal since it's got the cornbread cooked right with it, but some saltine crackers ($.25-.75 for a sleeve) or a nice green salad ($2-4) wouldn't hurt.

I love using the Crockpot, and I especially love it when you've got a recipe like this where all the cooking is happening while you're asleep or at work/school.  I also love recipes where you can tinker with them as needed.  Don't want the cornbread on top?  Don't do it.  Want to use some bell pepper instead of corn?  Go ahead!  Beans vs. beanless?  Your choice!  Mild vs. blow-your-face-off spicy?  Just omit any of the hot stuff or add a crapload of habaneros or some Dave's Insanity Sauce.  Don't have all those spices on hand?  Use a packet of chili seasoning from the spice aisle, I won't tell.