Buffalo Chicken Chili with Blue Cheese Corn Mug Toppers

I love chili!  My whole family loves chili.  And my mama has a fabulous chili recipe that is a go-to meal when the weather turns cold and the wind howls outside.  But that is a family recipe, and Mama made me swear that I'd never share it on my blog.  So sorry.  You really are missing out.  But over the years chili has gotten so versatile that it's easy to switch things up and make a favorite hearty soup have multiple personalities.  This recipe was recommended by my big brother, and I can't believe it took me so long to try it!  It's the perfect meal to make a group of avid football fans during the big game, or just to warm up on a chilly night (pun intended, of course)!!  Enjoy!

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 pounds ground chicken

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 celery ribs, finely chopped

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

Salt and pepper

1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

12 oz beer

¼ cup cayenne pepper hot sauce

1 29-oz can tomato sauce

1 8.6-oz Jiffy corn muffin mix

1/3 cup milk

1 large egg

2 scallions, finely chopped

2/3 cup crumbled blue cheese

Heat a medium Dutch oven or large skillet over high heat. Add the olive oil and the butter and melt together. Add the chicken and cook, breaking up the meat for 6 minutes. Add the garlic, celery, onion, carrot, and jalapeno. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, and coriander, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the beer and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Concentrate the flavor of the beer by reducing the mixture over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the hot sauce and tomato sauce. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the chili for 15 minutes.

Prepare the corn muffin mix with the milk and egg according to the package directions for pancakes. Stir the scallions and blue cheese into the batter. Heat a nonstick griddle or skillet over medium heat. Nest a small piece of butter in a paper towel and rub over the pan. Drop rounded tablespoons of the batter into the pan. Cook the pancakes until bubbles form at the edges, then flip them and cook until golden all over, about 2 minutes per side. You will have enough for about 20 pancakes. Serve 2 pancakes with each mug of chili.  Alternatively, make muffins using the batter, topping each mug with just one muffin.