Beef and Bean Chili Verde

Well, well, well. Tonight was super exciting! We left work at 5pm and went grocery shopping. I had my list all ready (and sorted in the appropriate order in which we would be walking through the store). I really thought this trip was going to be super expensive since we were shopping for 2 weeks worth of meals. Our last trip, just for last week's meals (as well as some basics that we needed at home) was $120. This time, $140! For 2 weeks! How sweet is that? Next time, I plan to be a little more prepared and print some coupons beforehand. We just have to get a working printer in our house. Mine needs ink and we can't find the cord for Ethan's printer (Ethan = husband). Oh well, we can save even more next time! I will add, that if you need chicken breasts, go to Kroger, it's on sale right now.

We arrived home and I got to work. Cutting up veggies and getting the ingredients together. I also rearranged our food storage which is on a small shelving unit in our breakfast nook. I can't wait to have a house with some serious storage. On tonight's agenda was Beef and Bean Chili Verde, brought to you by "7-Day Menu Planner for Dummies". Do believe the name because it is Chili, even if it doesn't look like traditional chili.

Ingredients

1 pound 93-95% lean ground beef

1 large red bell pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

6 cloves of minced garlic

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons cumin

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 12-16 oz. jar salsa verde or taco sauce

1/4 cup water

1 15 oz. can pinto beans, rinsed

For cornbread: Jiff Corn Muffin Mix, 1 egg, 1/3 cup milk

Directions

Before beginning, prepare the cornbread mix. Follow the instructions on the box of Jiff Corn Muffin Mix (cornbread instructions are on the side of the box). Put the mix together with ingredients and pour into pan, set aside for now. Don't forget to preheat your oven. (I added some corn to my cornbread.. it was delicious!)

In a large pan; cook beef, red pepper, onion on medium heat for 6-8 minutes or until beef is no longer pink and vegetables are softened. Put the cornbread in the oven. Add minced garlic (if using a jar of minced garlic, 1 teaspoon = approx. 1 clove of garlic), chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper; cook for 15 seconds or until fragrant. Stir in salsa verde and water; bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Stir in pinto beans and cook 1 minute or until heated.

Cornbread :) Yum

Looks a little funny during the cooking stage.. haha

Some tips: This is already a spicy meal but if you would like a little more kick, add some extra spices and throw in some cut up jalapeno. I am very sensitive to spice, so I tend to throw in what a recipe calls for, if not less. Ethan loves some kick though so I usually try not to cut out too much. This recipe is great, it's just the right amount of spice, I think. Suprisingly, I am also a very picky eater. I don't like peppers, tomatoes, mushroom and I would choose poultry over red meat, any day. However, this whole meal planning adventure, is helping me step out of the box. And not just once in a while, but every day!

Back to the tips (oops, sidetracked). Definitely get a high percentage lean ground beef. The other stuff might be cheaper but that means all the fat is going to cook off and you are left with a lot less meat then the better stuff. You can find the salsa verde with the salsa (just in case you've never bought any). As for the minced garlic, it's so easy to buy a jar of minced garlic and keep it in your fridge for another day. You can find that with the spices in your grocery store.

I hope you give this recipe a shot, it was very good, especially if you like a little something spicy!

Don't hesitate to comment if you have questions! (I was watching TV while writing this so I hope it makes sense) 

Until tomorrow....  :)