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The cool weather over the weekend got my whole family excited and longing for some of our favorite comfort food and of course I obliged. What is it about cold weather that makes us crave hearty stews and spicier foods? I guess we just instinctively know what will warm us up.

I found this recipe for spicy beef stew and cheddar cheese grits on Ree Drummond’s website, The Pioneer Woman. I love Ree Drummond but she does have a tendency to use quite a bit of fat and sugar so you have to be careful. My family gave this recipe very high ratings and I like the fact that it is super easy. This recipe made enough for 7 generous servings but could easily be doubled for a bigger crowd. I think it would freeze well (the stew, not the grits) so you could freeze leftovers for another meal or make a double batch to freeze.

Warning! I recommend chopping the chipolte peppers first and adding them a bit at a time until you get the desired amount of heat. I had an unfortunate accident a few years ago by adding the whole can at once and the result was too hot for us to eat, even after picking out as many of the peppers as possible.

I tried Ree’s recipe for the grits but didn’t like it as well as mine which follows. You can use just water to cook the grits and save yourself some of the fat in the half and half. Cook the grits when the stew is nearly ready, then spoon the stew over the grits to serve. Pure heaven!

Spicy Beef Stew

2 to 4 Tbsp. canola or olive oil

3 lbs. stew meat

1 can chipolte peppers in adobo sauce

4 cups beef broth

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. cumin

2 tsp. chili powder

1 large onion, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium high heat. Brown beef in batches then add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 2 to 3 hours until the meat is tender and there is little liquid.

Note: I only used about half the broth to start and added some as it cooked down but didn’t use the whole amount.

Cheddar Cheese Grits

1 cup grits

2 cups water and 2 cups half and half OR 4 cups water*

1 tsp. salt

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Bring water and half and half OR just the water to a boil in a large stock pot. Add the salt and the grits, stirring as you pour them in. Cover and reduce heat so grits just simmer. Let cook, stirring occasionally, until the grits are thick, about 10 minutes. Add the cheese and stir till combined.

* Use just 4 cups of liquid total. Using the half and half does make the grits creamier but they are fine when you use just water.