three bean chili pot pies

I survived the last week of school for the semester!!!! Can we all breathe a huge sigh of relief? (sigh) After two presentations, countless meetings, and some speed grading, all I want right now is pajamas, wine, and a Christmas movie marathon. Apologies for the lack of posts this week. But I'm back now. And next week I'm planning a full week of non-food related posts! Look forward to some fashion posts and a new series of Christmas gift idea posts. Yay!

Okay, now back to our regularly scheduled program:

Have I ever told you my all-time hands down favorite meal? Like, if I were on death row I would ask for this over anything else meal? It's chili and cornbread. What can I say? I'm a simple gal. I'm rather particular about my chili and cornbread too. I'm a chili/cornbread diva, if you will. The chili has to be thick and spicy and hearty. I simply will not settle for watery, bland, or otherwise wimpy chili. No ma'am. And the cornbread? Well, it needs to be sweet. Dry, tasteless cornbread should be a crime. Amen.

I'm always on the hunt for the next great chili or cornbread recipe. And, when I saw this recipe posted over at How Sweet It Is, I knew that Jessica must be a girl after my own heart. Chili and cornbread combined into one super awesome pot pie? Duh. Why didn't I ever think of that? (sigh)

Three Bean Chili Pot Pies

Three Bean Chili:
1 sweet onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 bulbs roasted garlic
2 (15 oz) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Cornbread Biscuits:
1 1/2 cups finely ground cornmeal
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1-1 1/4 cups milk
heavy cream for brushing

Directions:
To prep, roast two garlic bulbs. Cut the top off each garlic bulb. Drizzle with olive oil and wrap in foil. Roast at 375 for 45 minutes. This can also be done ahead of time.

Make the chili: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil along with onions and peppers. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Squeeze out roasted garlic cloves into the pot, and stir well to combine with a large spoon, breaking them apart and evenly distributing the garlic paste. Add in beans, crushed tomatoes and tomato paste, stirring well. Add in spices, cocoa, sugar, salt and pepper, then let simmer for 5-10 minutes. Taste and season additionally if desired. At this point, you can make the pot pies immediately or simmer your chili for however long you would like to develop the flavor.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Make the cornbread biscuits: In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk well to combine. Add in cold butter and using a fork, pastry blender or your fingers, mix and combine until the butter is distributed and small crumbs remain. Stir in one cup of milk to start to form a dough. The dough will be slightly more crumbly that traditional biscuit dough. If it is still very dry, add in additional milk one tablespoon at a time. Form dough into a ball.

Place dough on a floured workspace and using your hands and/or a rolling pin, flatten it out until it's a little less than one inch thick. Use a glass or biscuit cutter to cut out rounds. Using a standard biscuit cutter should give you approximately 12 biscuits. The size of the biscuits will determine how many you make. I made 4 individual rectangular ramekins and one large potpie in a 9x9" baking dish.

Assemble pot pies: Ladle chili into ramekins and/or baking dish, filling almost to top. Place cornbread biscuits atop the chili. Brush the tops of the biscuits with heavy cream, then bake for 12-15 minutes or until biscuits are slightly golden and set. Top with sour cream, Greek yogurt, chives or any toppings you desire.

Yield: chili serves approximately 8, biscuit recipe makes 12 standard size biscuits

Source: How Sweet It Is