My mom calls this chili, but my dad insists it’s Mexican spaghetti. I don’t care what they call it; anything that’s super simple, delicious, and makes a lot is a winner in my book. As an added bonus, the ingredients are cheap and it can be made up to a day ahead and reheated. The green chile cornbread goes perfectly with the chili, but if you prefer you can leave out the chiles or heat it up with a finely diced jalapeño.

　　

Ingredients

serves 10 to 12

　　

Green Chile Cornbread

3 cups milk

　　4 eggs

　　2/3 cup canola oil

　　1/3 cup butter, melted

　　3 cups flour

　　2/3 cup sugar plus extra for dusting

　　1 cup cornmeal

　　2 tablespoons baking powder

　　1 teaspoon salt

　　1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles

　　

Chili

1 onion

　　1 1/2 pounds ground beef

　　2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans

　　3 (14-ounce) cans diced tomatoes

　　1/3 cup chili powder

　　3 cups water

　　8 ounces uncooked macaroni noodles

　　Salt and pepper

　　

Step 1

To prepare the cornbread: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter or spray a 9 by 13-inch baking pan.

　　

Step 2

Combine the milk, eggs, oil, and melted butter in a large bowl. Add the flour, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt and stir until just combined. Drain the green chiles and stir into the batter. Pour the batter into the pan and sprinkle a light dusting of sugar over the top. Bake the cornbread for 40 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

　　

Step 3

To prepare the chili: Peel the onion and dice into 1/2-inch pieces. Place the onion and ground beef in a large stockpot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, or until the ground beef is browned. Drain the fat off the meat, washing the grease down the sink with hot running water. Add the kidney beans and tomatoes (do not drain them) and stir until combined. Stir in the chili powder and water and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until it comes to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook for 10 minutes, or until the macaroni is soft. Season with salt and pepper and additional chili powder, if desired. (If you reheat the chili you may need to add a little water to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.)

　　

Step 4

Spoon some of the chili into each bowl and serve with the cornbread on the side.

　　College Cooking