Chili, Sweet Cornbread and Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake with a Brownie Crust

Sunday nights mean family dinners.  They are usually at my parents, but sometimes they are at our house or my brother’s.  Two Sundays ago we decided it was time again to host.  Seeing as it was perfect fall weather out I decided we should have a perfect fall meal so we made Chili, Sweet Cornbread and Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake with a Brownie Crust.

I usually make my chili with ground beef but I was lucky to be given some ground venison from my work carpool partner so we used that instead

Chili

Ingredients

• 1 lb of ground beef/venison
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 16 oz jar of chunky salsa (heat to your liking, I prefer medium)
• 2 15 oz cans of Hunt’s diced tomatoes for chili
• 1 4 oz can of diced green chilies
• 1 15.5 oz can of black beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 15.5 oz can of kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 tsp chili powder

Directions

1. Place beef/venison in a sauce pan.  Add cayenne pepper and cook over medium heat until brown. 
2. In a large pot add all ingredients, including the browned beef, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and allow chili to simmer for at least 30 min.  If making a head of time and you are planning to have over heat for longer than 30 min wait to put beans in until 30 min before serving.

Sweet Cornbread (original recipe from Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white cornmeal
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a muffin pan with baking cups (makes about 12 muffins) or spray a 9 inch round cake pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder.  Stir in egg, milk and vegetable oil until well combined.  Pour batter into prepared baking cups or into the cake pan.
3. Bake in either for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake with Brownie Crust (original recipe from Food and Wine Magazine)

Ingredients

         

Crust

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
•  1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

Cheesecake

• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Pinch of ground cloves

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Grease a 9-inch springform pan. In the microwave melt the butter with the chopped chocolate on high for about a minute, stirring halfway through. Once melted let it cool slightly, then stir in the sugar and the lightly beaten egg until blended.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the melted chocolate mixture. Stir the chopped walnuts into the brownie batter. Spread the batter in the prepared springform pan and smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake for 10 minutes, or until risen and dry to the touch. Let cool completely. Wrap the outside of the pan in a large sheet of foil. Leave the oven on.
3. In a medium glass bowl, melt the chopped chocolate in a microwave oven on high for about 1 minute, stirring halfway through. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well between additions. Beat in the cornstarch and vanilla. Add 1 cup of the cheesecake batter to the melted chocolate and stir until well blended. Beat the pumpkin puree and the cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves into the remaining cheesecake batter.
4. Pour three-fourths of the pumpkin cheesecake batter over the brownie crust. Pour the chocolate batter on top of the pumpkin cheesecake batter. If the chocolate batter is too thick to pour easily, heat it in a microwave oven on high for 10 seconds. Spoon the remaining pumpkin cheesecake batter on top of the chocolate batter. Use a table knife to make a few decorative swirls: Do not over swirl.
5. Set the springform pan in a medium roasting pan. Add enough hot water to the roasting pan to reach halfway up the side of the springform pan. Bake the pumpkin cheesecake in the hot water bath in the center of the oven for 1 1/2 hours, or until it is firm around the edges but slightly jiggly in the center. Turn the oven off, prop the door several inches open and let the cheesecake stand in the water bath in the warm oven for 1 hour, or until it is completely set.
6. Remove the marbled pumpkin cheesecake from the water bath and refrigerate it until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove the foil and springform pan ring from the cheesecake.