Week 30 - Camping

Challenge week: 30

Theme: Camping

Theme note: I have not gone camping, and honestly, don't really have much desire to go camping, so no first-hand knowledge or experience with this theme. I realize now that the last time there was a similar theme (outdoorsman in 2016), I made chili too, so I guess I have a type when it comes to "outdoor" cooking.

What we made: one-pot veggie chili cornbread casserole, adapted from the recipe on Vegetarian 'Ventures

How much it cost (with estimated breakdown): $13.33 (dinner for 3 + 2 lunches for 2)

- 1 yellow onion ($0.50)

- 1 red bell pepper ($1.34)

- 1 green bell pepper ($0.86)

- 5 cloves of garlic ($0.10)

- olive oil for sauteing ($0.30)

- 1 cup vegetable broth ($0.75)

- 1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes ($0.87)

- 1 can pinto beans ($0.99)

- 1 can black beans ($0.83)

- 1 can red kidney beans ($0.90)

- 1 can corn ($0.92)

- about 8 oz of mild salsa ($1.65)

- spices (in decreasing amount): chili powder, garlic powder, oregano, cumin, freshly ground black pepper, salt ($0.28)

- 2 cups cornmeal ($1)

- 1 cup AP flour ($0.16)

- 2 tsp baking powder ($0.06)

- pinch of salt ($0.02)

- 1/3 cup butter, melted ($0.45)

- 2 tbsp maple syrup ($0.60)

- 2 cups oat milk ($0.75)

Challenge quick review: As I was pulling out the ingredients for this challenge meal, all I could think was, "Who would bring all of this to go camping?" The original recipe post did talk about bagging up spices, chopped vegetables, the dry ingredients for the batter in advance, but it still seems like a lot of stuff to lug around, plus the heavy pot and cookware, for one meal in the outdoors. But I guess that's why I don't go camping.

As for the recipe itself, the chili was tasty, the cornbread was good, and it was an easy one-pot meal. I had never made cornbread on top of chili before, but it was convenient and quick just throwing the batter on top. I wasn't sure if it would really work, but it did, and I liked how the cornbread picked up some of the sauce from the chili. A thought it was good, but he would have preferred making our favorite cornbread and favorite chili recipes separately and just adding the cornbread on top of the chili. In addition to convenience, it was a very economical meal, very filling and a lot of food that lasted for days. I would make this combo again.