Cattleman's Pot Pie

Cattleman’s Pot Pie

Dinner should be delicious, wholesome and fun, for the whole family.  I like to make meals versatile enough where everyone at the dinner table is more than happy to eat it.  While I often make things from scratch sometimes a cheap box of Jiffy cornbread mix can take dinner from ordinary to extraordinary (boy was that corny!) This is a fun interactive dinner where everybody can have what they want, grab some shredded cheese, some Fritos or Cheetos, prep some corn bread mix and let everyone build their own dinner

Ingredients

1 lb. lean ground beef (I use 93/7 meat)

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

1 Anaheim chili pepper, chopped (If you can’t find one of these add more bell pepper in its place)

1-2 jalapenos, chopped (add as much or as little as you like, seeds optional)

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, diced

1 can diced tomatoes

½ can corn, drained

1 small can tomato sauce

1 can kidney beans, drained

1 packet McCormick Original Chili seasoning

1 box Jiffy Corn Muffins prepared as per directions

Instructions

In a medium skillet add some cooking oil, whichever kind you prefer and add the peppers, onions and garlic and sauté until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add the ground beef and break up into large crumbles, let brown.  If you use less lean beef brown, it in a separate pan and add the strained beef to the vegetables.  Add the chili seasoning and stir to combine.  Add the corn, diced tomatoes, beans and tomato sauce and lower to a simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.  Note: I do not add salt as the chili seasoning has salt in it.  

As is this is delicious chili and I love it on its own, but to make Cattleman’s Pot Pie I put it in a casserole dish, sprinkle the top with shredded cheddar cheese and cover it with the corn bread mix (prepare as the box specifies) and bake at 375 until the corn bread is browned.  I often make it in a ramekin for me with corn bread on top, and make the rest of the corn bread as corn muffins with either chopped jalapenos, or some cheddar cheese mixed in.  Another fun way to serve this is as a Frito or Cheetos pie, simply spoon some of the chili over a bowl full of Fritos or Cheetos and top with cheese, Greek yogurt or sour cream, sliced avocado and diced onions.  Left overs are delicious over a split corn muffin with an egg the next day for breakfast or lunch!

You can also swap out the beef for lean ground turkey or even lentils for a vegetarian option.  Sometimes I add a can of drained chick peas to bulk this up without adding more meat.  Want to sneak some more vegetables in there? Shred up some carrots or dice some zucchini and add it in when you sauté the vegetables!