Eating Out of Your Pantry: Chili Verde and Cornbread

Jan here, in a place that I didn't think we would reach. Going on eleven weeks of Coronavirus shutdown. Can you believe it?

When we went to the grocery store last weekend, the meat cooler was nearly empty, entire shelves had minimal quantities, and the aisles were crowded. Even when there's one-way traffic, between shoppers, employees filling on-line orders, and employees trying to stock shelves, we could hardly move. I'm glad we were only there for fresh items - some dairy and some produce to round out our pantry stock.

And we are thankful to be in a state that didn't shut down. I can't imagine what this time is like for some of you!

I am also very thankful for my pantry!

The recipe I made for our Sunday supper is an old family favorite. I started making Chili Verde back when I was doing once-a-month cooking in the mid-1990's. So this recipe has been around for awhile!

I keep the ingredients for this one on hand at all times. You can use shelf-stable versions of almost all the ingredients, which makes it the perfect pantry meal.

Chili Verde From Your Pantry

ingredients:

1 can chicken breast
1 can chopped green chilies
2 cans great northern beans
1 quart chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped onions (I keep chopped onions on hand in my freezer)
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
salt to taste

Mix all the ingredients together in your slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.

Cornbread From Your Pantry

This is where I'm always tempted to use a Jiffy box mix...but made from scratch is better and almost as easy!

I found this recipe on a package of corn meal years ago, it might have even been before we got married. As you can see from the ingredients, some items aren't long-term pantry friendly unless you make substitutions. Canned milk can be substituted for fresh milk and coconut oil (or vegetable oil) for butter. Substituting for the egg is a little harder, but it can be done. Do an internet search for "what to substitute for eggs in baking" and see what works with your pantry.

WARNING! This is definitely NORTHERN corn bread. As Mark Lowry says, it's really cake.

By the way, if you've never seen Mark Lowry's stand-up routine about southern cooking, watch it now. We all need a good laugh!

ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup yellow corn meal
1 cup flour
4 Tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 cup egg, beaten

Preheat your over to 400°. Place the 1/4 cup butter in a 9" square or round baking pan (I like to use my 10" cast iron skillet) and put it in the oven to melt the butter while you mix the rest of the ingredients.

Mix the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl and the milk and egg together in a small bowl. Add the milk and egg to the dry ingredients and stir until all the dry ingredients have been incorporated. Mix in the melted butter, then pour the batter into the same pan that you melted the butter in.

Bake at 400° for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Sorry...no pictures of the cornbread, but it was delicious.

Meanwhile, we're chugging away here in the Black Hills. Spring was here for a few days before winter hit again on Mother's Day. I've been keeping track - we normally have snow on Mother's Day weekend. :-)

Trips up into the Hills are more enticing now that the Iron Mountain Parkway and the Needles Highway are both open for the season.

And we are getting ever closer to the Vetsch/Drexler wedding in July. We've heard from the happy couple that no matter what the government says, they're getting married on the day they've planned. Even if we can't get there, they know a preacher and they can find witnesses. The wedding is on!

So, how are things going around your place? Snow? Mosquitoes? Are stores and restaurants opening up again, or are you still on shut-down?

We'll chat over our bowls of chili and cornbread!

Jan Drexler is an author by day who is addicted to counted cross stitch and sauntering through the Hills with her dear husband and their puppies - goofy corgi Jack and growing-fast border collie Sam. You can find Jan's books and other fun things on her website: www.JanDrexler.com.