‘Blast From the Past’ Recipe

This month’s ‘Blast From the Past’ recipe is in fact three recipes!.. Firstly there’s ‘Cowboy Chilli’, a ‘proper’ American chilli. I couldn’t share this without also reminding you of the recipe for ‘Cornbread with Honey Butter’ – it’s delicious served on the side. Finally, the third recipe is ‘Mac & Cheese’ which is made with the leftovers of the chilli (if you have any!..). I shared all three of these recipes back in October 2021 and they deserve to be remembered!..

Cowboy Chilli with Cornbread (Serves 6-8)

This Chilli is the real deal, a proper American chilli from a favourite cookbook of mine, ‘Five Marys Ranch Raised’ by Mary Heffernan. I recommend you serve it with ‘Cornbread & Honey Butter’ (recipe below) plus toppings of sour cream, grated cheddar and sliced spring onions…and perhaps some guacamole! The wonderful thing about this recipe is that it makes a large portion (enough for 6-8), so there are leftovers which can be frozen for another day or, even better, used to make another authentic American recipe – ‘Chilli Mac and Cheese’ (recipe below!)…

(I use a mild chilli powder as I prefer a milder flavour, but if you like more heat use a hotter chilli powder!)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 red pepper, diced

1 green pepper, diced

900g beef mince

25g chilli powder (see note above)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon cayenne

400g tin pinto beans, rinsed and drained

800g passata

400g tin chopped tomatoes

Sea salt and black pepper

To Serve:

Mild cheddar cheese, grated

Sour cream

A few spring onions, sliced

Cornbread with Honey Butter (recipe below)

Guacamole (recipe here)

1. In a large casserole pot heat the oil. Add the onion, peppers and a pinch of salt, cook over a medium heat, stirring until the vegetables soften and start to brown – about 8 minutes.
2. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the beef and cook stirring until it is just browned – about 5 minutes.
3. Add all the spices, plus a teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper and stir until well combined.
4. Add the beans, passata and chopped tomatoes. Bring to the boil, then reduce the temperature to low and cook, stirring occasionally until the chilli is thick and rich – about 1 hour (if it gets too thick you can add a little water).
5. Serve bowlfuls of chilli topped with sour cream, grated cheddar and spring onions plus, on the side, cornbread (recipe below) and/or guacamole (recipe here).

Cornbread with Honey Butter

This is the best!… It is great served with ‘Cowboy Chilli’ (recipe above), but in all honesty it’s a good stand-alone dish…cornbread with honey butter for breakfast is a great start to the day – believe me!…

For the Honey Butter

110g unsalted butter at room temperature

2 tablespoons honey

¼ teaspoon sea salt

For the Cornbread

150g polenta/cornmeal

110g plain flour (gluten free if required)

50g sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

200ml whole milk

2 large eggs

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

*9-10 inch round baking dish/tin, greased.

1. To make the honey butter, put the butter, honey and salt in a small bowl and smash together until well combined. Cover and refrigerate for a least 30 minutes before using.
2. To make the cornbread, in a large bowl, mix  together the polenta, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl whisk together the milk, eggs and melted butter, add this wet mixture to the dry ingredients in the large bowl. Stir until just combined and pour into the prepared tin.
3. Bake the cornbread in a preheated oven, 220’c fan, until the top is lightly golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean – about 17 minutes. Let it cool for 10 minutes before serving with the honey butter.

Leftover Chilli Mac & Cheese (Serves 4-6)

Another favourite recipe from Mary Heffernan’s cookbook ‘Five Mary’s Ranch Raised’. It’s worth making the ‘Cowboy Chilli’ (recipe above) just so that you have the leftovers to make this recipe! It’s a real crowd-pleaser, feel free to add some sautéed mushrooms, peas or blanched broccoli into the mac and cheese before baking if you want a more veggie-based version.

450g macaroni or penne pasta (gluten free if required)

75g unsalted butter

40g plain flour (gluten free if required)

700ml whole milk

225g mild cheddar, grated

About 900g leftover ‘Cowboy Chilli’, warmed (recipe above)

Sea salt and black pepper

*9×13 inch (or similar size) baking dish, greased

1. Cook the macaroni or penne according to the packet instructions until just al dente (it will continue to cook in the oven, so it is best to have it slightly underdone). Drain, rinse in cold water and set aside.
2. In a saucepan, melt the butter over a medium-low heat. Sprinkle over the flour and whisk until smooth. Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly until smooth. Let it simmer for about 2 minutes until it is slightly thickened, then slowly add the cheese, whisking until smooth. Season with salt and pepper
3. Add the cooked macaroni to the sauce, stir until well combined.
4. Spread the warm chilli in an even layer over the baking dish, then top with the mac and cheese. Bake in a preheated oven, 200’c fan, for about 20 minutes until bubbly and lightly browned around the edges. Let it stand for 5 minutes before serving.