Rather Rich Corn Muffins

It's been awhile since I made cornbread so when I needed a great recipe for the Southern dinner I was making with a friend I asked the ladies on my cooking board for suggestions. These Rather Rich Corn Muffins sounded awesome.

This recipe made a ton of batter - I got 36 muffins from it - which was a good thing because these were a big hit with the adults and kids alike. Mine didn't get golden brown, but they were baked in my friend's oven on the convection setting so that may have been the reason. Regardless, the flavor was amazing. I'll definitely be making these again.

Rather Rich Corn Muffins
As seen on Fake Ginger, from The Pastry Queen

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
3 cups heavy whipping cream
3 large eggs
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups coarse cornmeal plus extra to sprinkle over
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh corn kernels or canned corn, drained (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350. Generously grease 36 standard muffin cups or line them with disposable muffin wrappers.

Pour the butter, cream, and eggs into the large bowl. Add the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt on top. Stir until the ingredients are combined and not lumpy. Stir the corn into the batter, if using.

Fill the muffin cups about 2/3 full with the batter. Sprinkle cornmeal over the tops of the muffins. Bake the muffins for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly brown; they should spring back when you touch the tops lightly with your fingertips.

They are best served warm, and are equally delicious toasted and buttered.

Chili Cornbread Skillet

My friend Melissa has been raving about this Chili Cornbread Skillet for months. She makes it every single week for dinner. I admit, I'm not that into chili. It's fine, it's just not something I crave, but after seeing it week after week on her tumblr page I decided I needed to see what all the fuss was about. Plus SP loves chili and Baby Girl could probably eat a whole pan of cornbread herself so this seemed like a win all around.

This is a great weeknight dinner - it takes almost no time to prepare and tastes great. I found the chili a bit salty, so I cut back on the salt in the recipe below and I think next time I'll leave out the green pepper because they just don't agree with me. SP wanted the chili a bit spicier but I always err on the mild side since Baby Girl eats what we eat.

We all enjoyed this and the leftovers were even more delicious. I had half an avocado in the fridge so I diced it up to eat with my leftovers. I think sour cream, maybe even some cheddar cheese, would be great as well - really whatever toppings you like on your chili would be great with this. Thanks for the push to make this, Melissa!

Chili Cornbread Skillet
As seen on Alosha's Kitchen, from Very Culinary

1 pound ground beef
1 medium sweet onion, finely diced
1 green bell pepper, finely diced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon oregano
1/2 tablespoon chile powder
1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 (10-ounce) can condensed tomato soup
1 15-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup salsa
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 package (8.5 ounce) Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
Toppings: grated cheddar, sour cream, diced avocado, etc.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat a 10 or 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef, onion, bell pepper, garlic, spices and salt to the pan. Cook, breaking up the chunks of beef with a wooden spoon, stirring occasionally, until the meat is no longer pink and the vegetables are softened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the beans, soup, salsa, and ketchup and stir until thoroughly combined. Remove from heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the corn muffin mix, egg, and milk. Let sit for 2 minutes. Spoon the corn muffin mix over the beef.

Bake, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes until cornbread is golden brown. Remove from oven and let sit 5 minutes, then break into cornbread top to serve. Top with cheese, sour cream, etc., if desired.