Cajun Chili: Kid Tested

Here's the latest of the new recipes I've been trying out lately: Rachael Ray's Cajun Chili from 30-Minute Meals. I made a few alterations to the recipe (chipotle Tobasco sauce for the cayenne pepper sauce, heavy on the cumin, and a whole bottle of beer instead of half, to name a few of my changes), and the whole fam was pleased with the results.


Cajun Chili

1-1/2 lbs lean ground pork
1 T Mexican chili powder
1 T ground cumin
4 shakes cayenne pepper sauce
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 bottle of beer
1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
A handful of chopped fresh cilantro, optional
Kosher salt, to taste

Green onion corn cakes:
1 package Jiffy corn bread mix
2 green onions, chopped

Follow directions on box for corn cakes, not corn bread. When batter is prepared, stir in chopped green onions.

Heat a pot over high heat and a skillet or griddle with a nonstick surface over medium-high heat.

Dump the ground pork into the pot. Season with chili powder, cumin, and cayenne sauce and brown for 5 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, celery, and bell peppers and cook, giving the pan a shake now and then, for another 3 or 4 minutes.

While the chili is cooking, rub the griddle with a little butter and wipe off excess with paper towel. Make up to 4-inch corn and green-onion cakes and keep finished cakes on a plate in a warm oven until chili is done.

Back to the chili. Add beer and stir up the bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the tomatoes and cilantro. Bring to a boil and season with salt, to taste.

Serve the chili up in bowls and top with green onion corn cakes -- with extra cakes on the side.


Like Rug's Bug, I think it's important to feed our kids the same meals we eat. Lucky for me, the twins are adventuresome eaters, most of the time.