Chili and biscuits

I never used to be a fan of chili.  In fact, I pretty much hated it - the beans made me gag.  However, somewhere along the way, I changed my mind.  I think it was around my first year in bible school when I ate the stuff because the other option was eating nothing (or having to buy my own food, which seemed like a waste considering this food was already paid for).  So I tolerated it back then, and over the years, I've come to really enjoy it.  Yesterday it snowed all day, and it seemed like the perfect day for a nice steaming bowl of chili.  And what's chili without biscuits?  (although, I'll admit, sometimes I cheat and get a little help from Mr. Pilsbury).  Here are my recipes.  They were handed down to me from my mother-in-law and sister-in-law when I married Carey.  Enjoy!

Chili

700-800g ground beef
1 onion, chopped (I only use half - still not a big fan of onions)
1 can pork and beans
1-2 cans kidney beans (I use only 1)
1 can tomato soup
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1-2 tsp chili powder (I use 1, so it's not very spicy)

Brown and drain ground beef and onion.  Add remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil, then simmer at least 20 minutes.  Serve with shredded or cubed cheese and biscuits.


Cheese Biscuits

2 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (I usually do more, since I don't bother to measure)
1/3 cup margarine
2/3 cup milk, approx.

Sift flour with baking powder and salt.  Toss with cheese and cut in margarine with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.  Make a well in centre; pour in 2/3 cup milk all at once.  Stir quickly with a fork; if dry, add a little more milk to form a ball.  Knead 10 times on a floured surface.  Roll out to 3/4 inch thickness and cut into 2 1/2 inch biscuits (or skip rolling out and just drop by large spoonfuls onto baking sheet).  Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake at 450 F for 12-15 minutes.

For garlic cheese biscuits: mix together 1/4 cup melted butter and 1/2 tsp garlic powder.  Brush biscuits with garlic butter immediately after taking out of the oven.  Tastes a lot like Red Lobster biscuits!