Category: Chili

Chili-Stuffed Poblano Peppers

This is a new recipe that I tried out of the April/May 2017 issue of Taste of Home magazine. I really like it! It is healthy, low carb, and with the addition of chopped tomatoes and green onions, very fresh tasting for summer! I love a Chicago dog with tomatoes and serrano peppers. This almost reminds me of one with the chili in there! ….Almost! I mean nothing can really replace a Chicago dog, but when trying to be healthier and think healthier, it kind of might work. I mean kinda. Sorta. Maybe?? Whatever the thinking, this is worth trying!

1 pound lean ground turkey
1 can (15 oz.) chili without beans, I use Hormel
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
4 green onions, chopped
4 large poblano peppers
1 T. olive oil

Preheat broiler. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground turkey, crumbling the meat, until no longer pink, 5-7 minutes; drain. Add chili and salt; heat through. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese, tomato, and green onions.

Meanwhile, cut peppers lengthwise in half; remove seeds. Place on a foil-lined 15 by 10 by 1 inch baking pan, cut side down; brush with oil. Broil 4 inches from heat until skins blister, about 5 minutes.

With tongs, turn peppers. Fill with turkey mixture; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Broil until cheese is melted, 1-2 minutes longer.

I have found that these really hold up if prepared ahead of time. Just bake in a 350 degree oven until warmed through, and top with the cheese towards the end of reheating. And the microwave always works too!

Serves 4.

Texas-Style Chili

When it’s time to think about putting on a pot of homemade chili, this is the first one to enter my mind! This is Paula Deen’s recipe and it is the only one that I have truly enjoyed, that has beans in it. I’m normally a strict, Texas chili, and all chili for that matter, needs zero beans. Zip. Nada. NONE. No beans. BUT…..I love this concoction with them! Even though the name of this recipe kind of bothers me, since I firmly believe that Texas chili has no beans, who am I to change the name of one of Paula’s recipes?? Nope. Not me. Paula is the Queen! Regardless of the bean dilemma, this recipe is absolutely delicious!! It’s cold outside. Let’s make some!

3 pounds ground chuck
1 pound hot bulk sausage
3 medium onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chili powder
2 T. all-purpose flour
1 T. sugar
1 T. dried oregano
1 tsp. salt
2 (28 oz.) cans whole tomatoes, chopped with kitchen shears inside the can, with their juice
3 (16 oz.) cans Bush’s hot chili beans, drained

Combine the ground chuck, sausage, onions, and garlic in a Dutch oven. Cook over medium heat until the meat is browned; stir the meat to break it up as it cooks. Drain off the pan drippings. Stir in chili powder, flour, sugar, oregano, and salt, and mix well. (Here I add a little liquid of some sort. The recipe doesn’t call for it, but it makes me nervous to cook it like that for very long, for fear of some major scalding. Not that it would, it’s just something I’m not willing to try. Ha. So, a little red wine, juice from the canned beans, water, or beef broth are some suggestions, if you feel it needs some liquid too.)

Cover, and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes and beans, and simmer for 20 minutes longer. Adjust seasonings and serve with crackers, chopped green onions, and cheese.

*I like to add salt to the meat while it is cooking even if the recipe doesn’t call for it. I feel like it gives meat the best flavor, at the best time, rather than salting afterwards.
Also, the left over chili is great for topping baked potatoes, french fries, tater tots, fritos, and even corn casseroles.

Makes about 5 Quarts

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Turkey-White Bean Chili

It has been really cold and windy here the past couple of days and this turkey chili has been just what we’ve needed to warm up from the frost! My kiddos love this and it is a healthy recipe too that is thrown together easily in the crock pot. Serve with tortilla chips for dipping. This recipe is adapted from Amy C.’s out of Phyllis Good’s Stock the Crock cookbook.

2 lbs. ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 to 3 teaspoons chili powder, depending on how much heat you like
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground oregano
2 (15 oz.) cans great Northern beans, drained and rinsed (I skip this step.)
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
2 cups chicken broth or turkey broth
salt and black pepper, to taste
Garnish: 1/3 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, sour cream, black pepper, lime wedges, shredded mozzarella cheese
Tortilla chips, for dipping

Grease the interior of the slow cooker crock with butter or nonstick cooking spray.

Brown the turkey in 1 to 2 T. vegetable oil in a skillet over medium, breaking up with a wooden spoon. I always think it is best to season the meat with a little salt and pepper before browning, to really make sure it has good flavor from the start. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the turkey to the prepared crock.

Add the remaining ingredients, excluding the garnishes, and stir well.

Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours or High for 4 hours.

Remove the bay leaves and discard. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Top individual servings with cilantro, sour cream, black pepper, cheese, and lime wedges. And don’t forget the chips!

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Caution Flag Chili with Flat-Tire Corn and Black Bean Toppers

Now ya’ll know right off hand, that I did not name this recipe! This is Rachael Ray strait out! And this chili IS spicy! So, she had good reason to start with a caution flag. With that being said, the corn and blackbean “pancake” toppers really help to tone down the heat and the combination really ends up being magical! Creed and Fally girl really enjoy this one too. It feels so fresh and healthy, to me, which is a good thing considering all of my Southern food addictions! I think Rachee wrote this for Nascar fans. But whether you are into cars or not, this one is a keeper.

2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 poblano peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
2 lbs. ground sirloin
1 medium onion, chopped
3 to 4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 T. grill seasoning, such as McCormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 chipotles in adobo, chopped, plus 1 T. adobo sauce
1/2 cup steak sauce, such as Peter Luger or A1 (I’m not a huge fan of A1, but that’s what I usually have on hand, and I don’t add as much. It can be strong in flavor to me.)
1 cup beer
1 cup beef broth
1 (28 oz.) can crushed fire roasted tomatoes
1 pkg. corn muffin mix, preferably Jiffy, batter made according to package directions for corn pancakes
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed, drained, and patted dry with paper towels. I leave out that last paper towel part. ha
1/2 T. ground cumin
2 scallions, finely chopped
Softened butter, for greasing a skillet or griddle

Heat the evoo in a medium soup pot over medium-high to high heat. When the oil smokes, add the sliced poblanos and char them for a couple of minutes, then scoot them off to the side of the pan and add the meat. Break up the beef and brown it for a couple of minutes, then add the onions and garlic. Season the meat with the grill seasoning, Worcestershire, chipotle, and adobo sauce. Cook until the onions are tender, 5 to 6 minutes more, then stir in the steak sauce and beer. Cook the beer off for 1 minute, then add the stock and tomatoes and reduce the heat to low.

Prepare the corn pancake batter according to the package directions. Heads up….I skip this next part because I prefer the look of the black beans whole for picture taking lol, plus it’s just plain easier!…Finely chop the beans in a food processor and stir them into the corn batter. Season the batter with the cumin, and stir in the scallions.

Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle pan over medium heat. Butter the skillet or griddle, then pour 3 to 4 inch corn pancakes. Flip the cakes when the bottoms are deeply golden and cook them for another minute or two on the second side. Repeat with the remaining batter to make 6 cakes. Top each bowlful of the chili with a corn and black bean pancake; these are your flat tire toppers, according to Rach! Fun stuff!

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