Red Bean Chili and Cheddar Cornmeal Waffles

It's not quite fall here in GA, but the hubs requested chili recently and I had to oblige.  The Steelers' first big game was on Sunday, and that was the perfect occasion for chili and cornbread-related items.  I think they won because they knew I had already made a delicious meal and didn't want to ruin an otherwise lovely day.  So considerate.

The fine folks at Grafton Village Cheese Company sent me this little treasure chest of cheeses, so I wanted to accompany the chili with something cheesy as an excuse to try out these fine looking goods.  I highly recommend this cheese, especially for cooking.  The cheddars are very sharp, which means you can still get a great cheddar flavor after the cheese mellows in the cooking process.  Check them out- they've got cheeses of all ages.

I used the two-year-old Vermont Cheddar in the Cornmeal Waffles.  It's covered in wax, so you know it's fancy.  My favorite part is the back of the package, where it says "8 oz gold bar."  Ha!  Never thought I'd have a gold bar in my house.

I've never had a savory waffle before, but I certainly recommend them.  After all, you can waffle just about anything these days (will it waffle?).  I got this recipe from La Kocinera, and I like it a lot, but there are a few things I would change.  The recipe calls for chopped nuts, which I was unsure of, but Kocinera said they were essential, so I went for it.  I would definitely nix the nuts next time.  They were just a little strange to me.  I think I'd also add some crumbled bacon to the batter, duh.  Should have thought of that before!  Otherwise, super yummy and a fresh take on cornbread.

The chili recipe was adapted from LuLu At Home.  Her picture sucked me in.  No complaints on the chili, it was yummy and made me long for cooler weather (what's new?).  I hope you people in the north are enjoying your long pants.

Fall is coming, people!  I will welcome it with open arms when it arrives (in November).

PS- Oven Love has been chosen to feature Food & Wine recipes for the next month, courtesy of Foodbuzz.  I think it's going be a blast, and I'd love to know what Food & Wine recipes you'd like to see me make.  Check out their website and comment about it here or become a fan on facebook and comment there.  Thanks so much- can't wait to start!

from LuLu at Home

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 large onion, diced

5 garlic cloves, finely diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 celery stalk, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1-2 jalapeno, seeded, finely diced

Salt and pepper for season

1 bottle of dark beer

1 can whole or diced tomato

3 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

2 tablespoons ground cumin

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 can red kidney bean

1 cup frozen corn kernel (I omitted these, for some reason I don't think corn belongs in red chili)

Juice from 2 limes

Grated cheddar cheese, diced red onion and cubed avocado for garnish 

Brown beef in a large skillet in 1 tablespoon olive oil until no longer pink. Set aside.

Add another tablespoon olive oil to skillet and saute onion and garlic until fragrant but not browned. Add carrot, celery and red pepper, cook for 2 minutes until soft. Add jalapeno and saute for 5 minutes. Return beef to pan and heat through, season with salt and pepper.

Add beer and scrape up any brown bits from bottom of the skillet.

Add tomato, chili powder, paprika, cumin and cocoa powder. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 2 hours.

Gently mix in kidney bean, corn and lime juice. Simmer for another 30 minutes.