Hatch Chile Chili and Cornbread

It's getting to be chili weather again. Time to turn our thoughts to bowls of delicious, steaming chili to warm our hearts and souls... not to mention our stomachs!

It was such a day for chili a few weeks ago here in San Antonio.
It was raining and a bit chilly (temps in the 60s and 70s... very nice after our record-breaking heat wave of 100+ degrees for 57 days) so I decided to make chili, but not just any chili. I made Hatch Chile Chili and Hatch Chile Cornbread to go along with it. (First time I've turned my oven on in months.)

• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 - 2 T. cumin, divided
• 3 - 4 T. chili powder, divided
• 1 T. fajita seasoning, divided
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 roasted Hatch chiles, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes
• 1 (15.5 oz.) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• Cornbread

Heat a deep, 12-inch chef's skillet over medium-high heat. Add the turkey and onions. Shake in some of the cumin, chili powder, and fajita seasoning to season the meat and onions as they cook, stirring and adding more seasoning occasionally, until the meat is broken up and nearly browned, and the onions have begun to soften.

Add the garlic and Hatch chiles into the turkey mixture. Season a bit more with the cumin, chili powder, and fajita seasoning. Stir occasionally until the meat is completely browned.

Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and beans. Season with more of the cumin, chili power, and fajita seasoning. Stir to mix everything together and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and let simmer for an hour or so, stirring occasionally.

While the chili is cooking, make the cornbread. I admit, I totally cheated and used a packaged mix, but I did add a roasted Hatch chile, seeded and chopped, into the mix.

Spoon the chili into a bowl. Serve the cornbread on the side. Guaranteed to warm you up on a cold rainy day, or any other time.