Paleo Crock Pot Chili and "Cornbread"

September is a month when I think of my dad often.  His birthday was just a couple days ago and the 7th anniversary of his death is coming right up.  I've been reflecting lately on how he served others.  One of the ways I remember him serving our community was as a Rotarian.  He was involved in this for I don't know how many years.  What I do know is that I always looked forward to their fundraising events.  The big pots of ham & beans and chili were impressive. I enjoyed seeing the men in the community ladle it up into styrofoam quart containers and sell it with big slabs of cornbread on styrofoam trays.  I never really enjoyed the main meal because of my distaste for beans, but I loved the cornbread drizzled with honey or syrup!  I always chose the chili option since it had less beans and would sort out my beans and drop them in Dad's bowl periodically throughout the meal.  I miss you, Dad, but am so thankful for the legacy you left behind!

Chili and cornbread are difficult to enjoy when eating paleo, but these recipes are wonderful replacements.  First, the cornbread muffins minus the uh corn, of course!  This recipe really did taste like cornbread.  I cut back the honey to 1/4 of a cup and they were perfect.

Here's a really bad picture of a really good muffin and some yummy berries.
 

Next, the chili.  Here's what I put in mine.  It's chili, so put whatever you and yours likes in yours.  I'm still avoiding canning the last of my tomatoes, so I used fresh.  If you use canned, adjust the salt accordingly.  This filled my entire big crock pot.  It made enough for our whole family plus a large amount of leftovers.  Some in the family thought it was too spicy, but after adding cheese and sour cream to their bowls, they ate it right up!  I liked the amount of spunk.

1 lb of ground beef, browned
1 lb of stew meat, browned (this doesn't need to be cooked through)
2 medium onions, chopped
2 peppers, chopped (I used a combo of red, yellow and green)
5 cloves garlic, minced
16 cups fresh diced tomatoes with their juice
2 Tbsp cacao powder
3 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp oregano
1 Tbsp basil
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp granulated garlic
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Dump it all in a crock pot.   Cook on high for 2-3 hours then switch to low for 2-3 hours.  Or cook on low for 8 hours.  Cooking time will vary between pots and if you are using fresh or canned tomatoes. 

Here it is all dished up.

 
 No beans in paleo chili!  Just perfect for me, don't you think so Dad?

***Update:  I realized I had 12 tsp of red pepper flakes, instead of 1/2 tsp.  That would be really spicy!!!  I've corrected the recipe.***