Chili with Polenta

By á-36350

Ingredients

• Chili Ingredients:
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 tablespoon and 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2-3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 28 oz can canned whole plum tomatoes
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 can black beans
• salt to taste
• Polenta
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup polenta (I used Bob's Red Mill)
• 6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2-4 tablespoons butter (your preference)

Preparation

Step 1

Chili
1) Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet, add ground beef and cook until browned and all juices came out on medium heat covered – about 10-15 minutes. Drain from grease and juices.

2) In a large pan, heat olive oil on medium heat, add onions and garlic, cook for about 3 minutes, add carrot and continue cooking for 2 more minutes, stirring.

3) Add cumin, paprika, chili powder, Italian seasoning to the onion mixture and continue cooking, stirring, to mix everything well. Add cooked and drained ground beef from step 1.

4) Add canned tomatoes with juices, slicing tomatoes into small chunks before adding. Add beef broth. Bring mixture to boil and cook covered on low heat, simmering, for 1 hour.

5) After 1 hour, add black beans, salt and continue cooking for 20 more minutes, covered.

To make the polenta, pour the chicken broth and milk into a medium size saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and slowly whisk in the polenta. Cook, stirring frequently, until the polenta is soft and beginning to thicken, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in 4 ounces cheddar cheese and butter if using, season with salt and pepper. If the polenta seems a little thick you can add a tablespoon of butter or extra milk. Spoon the polenta over the pot pie filling and then top each pie with the remaining cheddar cheese.
Place in the oven and bake until the polenta is golden and the cheese is melted, about 20 minutes.