Celebrate National Chili & Banana Bread Day With Two Delicious Recipes

On a cold snowy day like today, there’s nothing quite like warming up with a comforting meal or snack. One unexpected but delightful pairing is chili and banana bread. It just so happens that today is National Chili Day and National Banana Bread Day! The hearty and savory flavors of the chili are perfectly complemented by the sweet and moist banana bread. The warm, cozy aroma of the banana bread also adds to the overall comforting atmosphere of the meal. Below are a couple of recipes, courtesy of Festival Foods, for you to make at home.

Quick & Easy Chili

This flavorful Quick & Easy Chili recipe uses only seven (yes, seven!) ingredients and is ready in less than 20 minutes. It’s perfect for game days, hectic weeknights or for days when you just do not want to cook. We recommend making a double batch because you will definitely want leftovers!

Ingredients

1 lb. Best Yet Lean Ground Beef

1 cup chopped onion

1 package McCormick® Chili Seasoning Mix, Original

1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans, drained

1 (14 ½ oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

2 cups cooked elbow macaroni, for serving

Directions

1. Cook ground beef and onion in large skillet on medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain fat.
2. Stir in seasoning mix, kidney beans, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Bring to boil and then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in cooked elbow macaroni and serve with desired toppings.
4. If desired, Top with shredded cheese, sour cream, saltine crackers, corn chips, olives and green onions.

Banana Muffins

These mouthwatering muffins feature delectable coconut, ginger and banana flavors. They’re the perfect tropical pick-me-up at any time of day!

Cooking spray

¼ cup butter, softened

¾ cup granulated sugar

4 oz. unsweetened applesauce

2 eggs

2 bananas, mashed

½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

1-2 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger

½ tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, plus additional for topping

½ cup chopped pitted dates

Sliced almonds, optional, for topping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat muffin tin with cooking spray or line with muffin liners.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar and applesauce with an electric hand mixer. Add eggs, mixing after each addition. Add bananas, yogurt, ginger and vanilla extract and mix to combine.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking soda and salt. Add flour mixture into wet mixture and mix together. Fold in coconut and dates.
4. Fill muffin cups almost full with batter. Sprinkle additional coconut and sliced almonds on top if desired. Bake for 20-24 minutes or until a wooden tester comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing and serve.