Slow cooker buffalo chili and cornbread recipe....

We really enjoyed this! I made several substitutions, as usual, but we were pleased with the results and it was far healthier than the original version.

Williams Sonoma's 6 hour Chili - Including my substitutions....

Ingredients:

* 5 lb. ground beef ( I used 16 oz of ground buffalo)
* 5 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 yellow onion, chopped
* 1 can (28 oz.) chopped tomatoes with
juices
* 6 to 8 Tbs. chili powder
* 2 tsp. dried oregano ( I used 3 to 4 tsp)
* 1 tsp. ground cumin
* Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste ( I also added a dash of garlic salt too)
* 1/3 cup cornmeal
* 2 cups unsalted beef stock ( I used 4 cups)
* Sour cream, chopped red onion, grated,
cheddar cheese and/or chopped fresh cilantro
for garnish

*** In addition I added 2 cans of red beans and 2 tbsp of olive oil.

Directions:

In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, brown half the beef, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a slow cooker. Repeat with the remaining beef.

Add the garlic, yellow onion, tomatoes with juices, chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, cornmeal and stock to the slow cooker and stir to blend. Cover and cook for 6 hours according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Skim the fat off the surface of the chili. Ladle the chili into warmed bowls and garnish with sour cream, red onion, cheese and/or cilantro. Serves 8 to 10.

**** I cooked the buffalo over medium heat with half of the onions, garlic and 2 tbsp. of olive oil. Then I added 2 tbsp of the chili powder, salt and oregano to the mixture and browned the meat. Then I transferred it to the slow cooker along with the wet ingredients, cornmeal and the rest of the onions and garlic. I cooked mine on high for about 5 - 6 hours then on low/warm for another 3 hours or so, then I refrigerated it and reheated it the next day, it was amazing!

Nutritional info for the substitutions I made, based on 10 servings(from Myfooddiary.com) -

Calories per serving - 174
Total fat - 4.1 g
Saturated fat - 0.8 g
Trans fat - 0g
Cholesterol - 37 mg
Sodium - 389 mg
Carbohydrate - 15.9 g
Dietary fiber - 5.3g
Sugars - 2 g
Protein - 18.1 g

Cornbread recipe - From Eatingwell.com

* 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal ( I used Bobs Red Mill cornmeal)
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour ( I used whole grain flour)
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 cup buttermilk
* 1 large egg, lightly beaten
* 1 tablespoon canola oil

1. Preheat oven to 475F. Stir together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and baking soda in a large bowl. Whisk together buttermilk, egg and oil in a small bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
2. Brush an 8-by-8-inch square cake pan with oil and heat in oven for 5 minutes. Pour the batter into the hot pan and bake until the top springs back when touched lightly, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on a rack and cut into 9 pieces. Serve warm or at room temperature.

**** I made mine into muffins, this recipe made 9 muffins. For the muffins I cooked them for about 13 mins at 475F.

Nutrition ( from EatingWell.com)

Per serving: 81 calories; 3 g fat (0 g sat, 1 g mono); 25 mg cholesterol; 12 g carbohydrates; 3 g protein; 1 g fiber; 297 mg sodium; 50 mg potassium.