Friday, January 20, 2012

Making Chili!

Well, the inevitable has happened. We finally got a huge snowstorm. Something like 6-8 inches. I can't say I'm shocked. I do live in Iowa and it's winter. It is part of the climate. However, every time we get a snow storm people seem surprised! I like snow. I think it's pretty. My husband, not so much. I think that is because he is the person who shovels everything. I kind of understand his distaste for snow because of that reason. That is why I made a huge pot of chili while he shoveled.




My father in law, Dan, makes excellent chili. Until Pat and I started dating, I had never made it before.  My first time actually was for a Chili Cook Off back when I worked at NICC. I winged Dan's recipe and was surprised how good it turned out..in fact, I won the cook off! {This is where Queen sings, "we are the champions"} Just Kidding! 


Every time I make chili I wing it. I never come with a list to the store. There are some main ingredients I always remember, and others that I think might work well. The chili we make now is kind of a mix of Dan's and kind of our own. It is one of the few recipes I am proud to say we "created" and isn't from a recipe book.


Our Chili Recipe


1 lb ground beef
1 1 lb stew meat (the *secret ingredient*)
32 oz can of tomato sauce
32 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can chili beans, in sauce
1 can Mexican corn
1 can diced tomatoes
green pepper, chopped
red onion, chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped or pressed
3-4 tbs of chili powder seasoning
salt & pepper
pinch of red pepper flakes


1. Brown the ground beef & steak w/ the peppers, onions and garlic. Season with salt & pepper. Drain grease.
2. Add remaining ingredients.
3. Simmer on medium until the juices start to bubble up a bit and simmer on low for at least 2 hours.
4. Top with shredded cheese, sour cream and green onions. Enjoy!



1 comment:

Bubble My Licorice said...

amazing recipe
ideal for cold times like this! :)