Crock Pot Mole Chili with Jalapeño Corn Bread Muffins

Makes 6 servings, about 1 cup each

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 3-7 hours

Get It:

Chili

• 1 lb. Extra Lean Ground Beef
• 1 Medium Red Pepper, chopped
• 1 Medium Onion, chopped
• 1 (28 oz.) Can Diced Tomatoes, undrained
• 1 C Water
• 1 Garlic Clove or 1 t Minced Garlic
• 2 T Semisweet Chocolate Chips
• 2 T Chili Powder
• 1 T Ground Cumin
• 1/2 t Salt
• 1/2 t Dried Oregano
• Reduced-Fat Sour Cream (optional)
• Fresh Cilantro, chopped (optional)

Make It:

1. Heat a skillet on medium heat and add the ground beef. Cook until brown, then drain the fat and add to the crock pot.
2. Add the rest of the chili ingredients to the crock pot, except the optional items. Heat on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours.
3. About 45 minutes before dinner time, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Mix the wet corn bread ingredients until well-blended, then add the cornmeal mix.
4. Coat 12 mini muffin molds with cooking spray and pour in batter.
5. Bake at 425 for 13-15 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Serve warm with chili and optional sour cream and cilantro.

Know it:

Chili: 210 calories, 7g fat, 68mg cholesterol, 685mg sodium, 18g carbs, 2g fiber, 6g sugar, 25g protein

Corn Bread (serving size=2 mini muffins): 115 calories, 2g fat, 35mg cholesterol, 302mg sodium, 18g carbs, 1g fiber, 2g sugar, 5g protein

Notes:

I adapted the above recipe from Cooking Light: Fresh Food Fast. It’s probably the only real cookbook I use outside of online recipes. Outside of pizza night, Mattox requests chili every week but I told him summertime wasn’t really the best time for chili. But now, it’s chilly so that means it’s time for chili! The chocolate chips might seem a little strange, but trust me on this one! If you have ever had mole at a Mexican restaurant, you know how good it can be. You can also make this without the crock pot by simmering the chili ingredients for about 7-11 minutes in a covered pot.