Dinner Tonight: 3 Bean Buffalo Chili w/ Johnny Cakes
A while back I purchased 3lbs. of Wild Idea Ground Buffalo and have been waiting to use 2 lbs of it to make a Crock Pot full of 3 Bean Buffalo Chili ! Well today's the day. I made myself an early breakfast, exercised, and then started getting everything started to make a crock pot full of 3 Bean Buffalo Chili! For dinner I made 3 Bean Buffalo Chili w/ Johnny Cakes.
I usually use Extra Lean Jennie - O ground Turkey when making my Crock Pot 3 Bean Chili but I had been wanting to use Buffalo, or Bison if you prefer, for a while now but Bison is a bit more pricier than ground Turkey. Wild Idea Buffalo had Ground Buffalo on sale so I purchased 3 lbs. of it, so I had my Ground Buffalo for the Chili! I used 2 lbs. of it to make the Chili. To make the Chili, along with the 2 lbs. of Wild Idea Ground Buffalo, I added the following; 2 Cans (6 oz.) Hunt’s Tomato Paste, 1 Can (15 oz.) Chili Beans, 1 Can (15 oz.) Kidney Beans, rinsed, 1 Can (15 oz.) Great Northern Beans, rinsed, 1/2 Cup of Water, 1 Packet McCormick Chili Mix, 1 White Onion (medium), Chopped or Minced, 1 Jalapeno Pepper, Unseeded and Chopped, 1 Tbs Minced Garlic, 1 Tbs Ground Cocoa Chili Blend (McCormick), 1/2 Tsp Ground Chipotle Chili Pepper (McCormick), 1 Tbs. Ground Roasted Cumin, 2 Tsps Ground Cinnamon, 1 Tbs of Cilantro Leaves, and 5 Dashes of Frank’s Hot Sauce or to taste. The full recipe and instructions follow at the end of the post.
I used my older stand-up Crock Pot, it's my Mom's and she's had it for at least 20 years or more and it still works like it's brand new. I lined it with Reynold's Crock pot Liners, a must if you use a Crock Pot a lot! These liners make cooking in a Crock Pot even easier. Just put them in the Crock Pot and spray with Pam Non Stick Cooking Spray. When your food is done just empty it from the Pot and dispose of the liner. It can't get much easier. I then browned the Buffalo in large saucepan on medium-high heat 10 min. or until no longer pink, stirring occasionally. Added all the remaining spices and ingredients except 1 can of the tomato paste and the cheese and crackers. Stirred until it was well mixed. While that was cooking I opened all 3 cans of Beans, rinsing the Kidney Beans and Great Northern Beans. I mixed all 3 cans together in a large bowl and added the 2nd can of Tomato Paste to the Beans and stirred. Then I added half of the bowl of Beans to the Crock Pot and topped it with the Buffalo and Spices mix and topping that with the rest of the Beans. Covered with the lid , and let simmer and cook, on low, for about 8 hours. About 2 hours into the cooking time your kitchen should fill up the fantastic aroma of the Chili!
The Turkey 3 Bean Chili is delicious but it can't compare with Buffalo 3 Bean Chili! The Buffalo meat just has that sweet taste to it that makes it different than other meats, plus it's healthier than other meats. If you've never had Buffalo Chili you have to try it when you can! As I've also said the Wild Idea Buffalo is the best Buffalo I've ever had, and a lot of that is how the Buffalo is raised at Wild Idea. I've left info all about Wild Idea Buffalo along with the web link at the bottom of the post. Along with The Chili I made a side of Johnny Cakes (Fried Cornbread). For dessert later a slice of Pillsbury Nut Quick Bread topped with a couple of scoops of Breyer's Carb Smart Vanilla Ice Cream.
3 Bean Buffalo Chili
Ingredients
2 lb. Ground Wild Idea Ground Buffalo
2 Cans (6 oz.) Hunt’s Tomato Paste
1 Can (15 oz.) Chili Beans
1 Can (15 oz.) Kidney Beans, rinsed
1 Can (15 oz.) Great Northern Beans, rinsed
1/2 Cup of Water
1 Packet McCormick Chili Mix
1 White Onion (medium), Chopped or Minced
1 Jalapeno Pepper, unseeded and Chopped
1 Tbs Minced Garlic
1 Tbs Ground Cocoa Chili Blend (McCormick)
1/2 Tsp Ground Chipotle Chili Pepper (McCormick)
1 Tbs. Ground Roasted Cumin
2 Tsps Ground Cinnamon
1 Tbs of Cilantro Leaves
5 Dashes of Frank’s Hot Sauce or to taste.
Shredded Cheese, I used Grated Dutch Gouda (Topping)
Oyster Crackers
Directions:
*Brown Buffalo in large saucepan on medium-high heat 10 min. or until no longer pink, stirring occasionally. Add all remaining spices and ingredients except 1 can of the tomato paste and the cheese and crackers.
*ADD to slow cooker and add in the remaining 1 can of tomato paste.
*COVER with lid. Cook on HIGH 3 to 4 hours (or on LOW 5 to 6 hours).
*Serve in bowl or mug with cheese and the oyster crackers, A Tablespoon of fat-free sour cream, or serve with some home made cornbread ears.
Wild Idea Buffalo meat is:
* Lower in calories, fat, and cholesterol than chicken or fish.
* 40% more protein than beef.
* Nutrient-dense, flavor rich, outrageously lean, and high in antioxidant Omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin E.
* 100% native grass fed – delivering 3.5x more omega-3 fatty acids than grain-fed bison.
* Red Meat That’s Good for You!
Wild Idea Buffalo is unlike any other meat company. We began with a vision of actually improving the eco-system of the Great Plains. Our buffalo are raised on the wide open spaces of South Dakota where they eat only the native grasses beneath their feet. They spend their whole lives roaming freely on thousands of acres, and never see a feedlot or slaughterhouse. The result is better lives for the bison, the restoration of over 100,000 acres of the prairie, and sweet, delicious red meat that is actually good for you. Not such a wild idea after all!
http://wildideabuffalo.com/
Johnny Cakes (My way)
Ingredients:
Pam w/ Olive Oil Non – Stick Spray
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 3/4 cups Buttermilk
2 cups Martha White Self Rising Enriched White Corn Meal Mix
Directions:
Just mix all your ingredients in a large bowl.
Spray your Pam on a Flat Griddle or large Skillet and preheat on medium low, I use the Flat Griddle.
When the Griddle is heated add your batter. You can make the Cakes any size you want from half dollar size to regular pancake size cakes. After the bottom side turns golden brown flip over and let the other side get golden brown. Serve while warm and enjoy!
