Chili with cornbread waffles

Years ago, before children, I used to work nightshifts and Rob worked days. Our time together on my workdays was during his lunchbreak. He'd come home for lunch and I'd have slept about 4 hours, we'd eat and then I'd take a nap and go back to work. While we ate, we would watch Paula Deen on Food Network.

See all of the things that have changed?
-sleeping all day
-watching tv while eating
-eating on the couch
-watching something not animated or including names like Squidworth

Anyhoo, one day I was watching ole Paula (pre-banning from Food Network) make some chili. And she put it on cornbread waffles. It was weird but at the same time, it looked fan-freaking tastic. Here is the recipe if you want hers.

It's a bit........not super healthy. Its not bad in comparison to many of Paula's delicacies, but it can get skinnied up a bit. I also like to cook the meat ahead of time and stick it in the crock pot all day so it can be ready when we get home on a workday.

Sara's Lightened Up Crockpot Spicy Chili
1 lb 93% ff ground turkey
1 onion
1 green pepper
2 cloves garlic minced
1 can corn drained
2 cans 15oz red beans drained
1 can 15oz tomato sauce
1 can 10oz can diced tomatoes and green chilis
2 tbsp cumin
1tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt

In a large skillet cook the ground turkey. As the turkey gets close to being completely done, use your spoon/spatula whatever, and chop it up into tiny tiny pieces. This is how you make ground turkey doable for a person not used to the texture/taste of ground turkey. Get it into as small of pieces as possible and they won't even know the difference.

After the turkey is done, drain any excess grease and stick it in the crock, chop up the onion and green pepper as finely as possible (or chunky if so desired and you don't have littles that think they don't like big hunks of green in their soup) and cook in skillet. About three minutes before the veggies are done, add the garlic and saute with veggies until onions are transperent. Add to crock.

Drain corn and beans and add, put tomatoes in undrained. If you want a more "soupier" chili, add another can of tomato sauce, this chili is meant to be THICK! Add the seasonings, stir and set at low for 8-10hours. You'll be a happy camper. I promise.
One very overfilled cup will run 334 calories. Its perfectly wonderful on its own in a bowl with cilantro on top. I usually crunch up four tortilla chips and call it 375 calories. This is when I'm being super awesome whole-ish foods on plan dieter. It is a perfect blend of protein/fat/carb.

This is as far as I can take you and still call this a "Lightened Up recipe". But, I suggest you save calories occasionally and do it up right.

Onto the cornbread

I've lightened up the cornbread, but it is still, a huge serving, as its the same size as a Belgium waffle, and full of flour and many other carbs. Half of a large waffle is plenty for a cup o chili.

1 3/4cup white flour

1 1/4 cup cornmeal

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup applesauce

2 eggs 

2 cups milk

Cook in a waffle maker, put it on your plate. Add toppings. 

Toppings:

Sour cream

Cilantro

Cheese

On Saturday we had the whole Qualls family over for dinner. I worked out hard that morn in the morn, walked all over Walmart getting groceries immediately after,  and the library after, and ate very few carbs all day. Mostly egg beaters, veggies and protein shake.  I budgeted my calories for the half a mamma jamma cornbread waffle with chili and cheese and sour cream and even for two cookies after. An it was heaven. This is my very favorite recipe I make.

Robs a fan too. I told him he needed to make an appearance on the blog so he modeled his chili and waffles.