Cheesy Corn Pudding and Texas-Style Chili

I just LOVE me some corn! Hearing corn pudding doesn't always sound that appetizing, but it definitely wasn't anything like pudding. This is great!

Recipe:

1 box (8 1/2 oz) corn muffin mix

1 can (15 oz) cream-style corn

1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

3/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup finely chopped scallions

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9 inch baking pan with oil or cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix together the muffin mix, corn, 3/4 cup of the cheese, sour cream, scallions, melted butter, eggs and black pepper. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan. Scatter the remaining cheese on top. Bake the pudding until golden and firm, approximately 25 minutes. Let it cool for 10 minutes before digging in!

I have realized lately that I am a big fan of creamy, thick soups. This chili, was a bit more brothy so it was one of my lesser favorites. It was good, just isn't one that made me say "wow!" ...and I live in Texas! I also forgot the sour cream at the end.

Recipe:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks

Salt and black pepper

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 fresh jalapeno pepper, finely chopped

3 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes

About 1/2 cup sour cream, for serving

In a dutch oven, heat the oil, good and hot. Lightly sprinkle the meat with salt and black pepper. Working in batches, cook the meat until well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove onto a paper towel lined plate to drain.

Add the onion, garlic and jalapeno to the pan and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, oregano, and cumin and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, 4 cups water and salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, until the meat shreds, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. While simmering, add water if the level lowers below the meat.

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