Tag: chili

Posted in Beef, Instant Pot, Main Dish, One Pot Meal, Uncategorized

Chili Con Carne

Posted on by lmc

I recently bought the Ninja Foodi XL and tried out one of its multi-cooker recipes for a spicy chili con carne. If you like chili, the depth of flavors in this recipe… simply amazing. If you’ve never used a multi-cooker before, follow the pictures below for a brief tutorial.

Chop your fresh ingredients…

This recipe uses corn tortilla shells to thicken and flavor the chili. Pulse in a food processor or blender.

Using the multi-cooker, sauté ingredients on high.

Add a few more ingredients to the pot and pressure cook as directed in the recipe below.

This recipe book accompanies the Ninja Foodi XL. One of my favorite chili recipes with a incredible depth of flavor.

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Posted in Chicken, slow cooking, Soup, Uncategorized

Fiesta Crockpot Chili

Posted on by lmc

  
My daughter was recently invited to a surprise party for a co-worker. She had just started working at the facility and was excited to spend time outside of work with this fun group of coworkers. After the party, she commented that she had a great time and was so happy to be included.  

Later, she told me about one of the items on the menu for the event that evening. She called it “white chili” and tried her best to describe all of the flavors she experienced while tasting the flavorful dish. Several days later, I found the recipe as it was placed on my kitchen counter. Her coworker had neatly typed up the recipe for many attending the party had requested a copy. After looking over all of the ingredients, I was delighted to find that most items were already in my kitchen fridge and pantry. We were experiencing a cooler than normal spring day so I pulled out my crockpot and threw all of the ingredients in (with a few minor changes).  

Here’s my version of the original recipe…

Fiesta Crockpot Chili

2-3 frozen chicken breasts

2 (10 ounce) bags frozen corn

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed

1 (10 ounce) can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies

1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes

8 ounces block cream cheese

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 package Hidden Valley Spicy Ranch Dressing

Cilantro to taste

Add all ingredients to the crockpot; except cilantro. Cook 6 hours on high or 8 hours on low setting. Shred chicken 30 minutes before completed hours, return to crockpot and add cilantro. When serving, top with tortilla strips and pour over tender noodles or cooked rice.
Here’s the recipe as I received it…

Jill’s Special Chili

2 frozen chicken breasts

1 bag frozen corn

1 can black beans, rinsed

1 can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies

4 oz cream cheese

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon paprika

1 package Ranch Fiesta

Cilantro to taste

Add all ingredients to the crockpot; except cilantro

Cook 6 hours or high or 8 hours on low

Shred chicken 30 minutes before completed hours and add cilantro

Posted in Beef, Food, Main Dish, Soup

Chilly Weather Chili

Posted on by lmc

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The past few days, I’ve been thinking of those living in New York that have been hit with an unimaginable amount of snow. While many in the Midwest might feel the need to complain about the bitter cold (late fall) temperatures, in comparison, we’ve certainly got nothing to complain about.
As the cold winds begin to blow down the length of Lake Michigan, I often turn my attention to chilly weather recipes that seem to comfort us as we make our way through a season of bitter cold and snow.
This Chilly Weather Chili recipe fits the bill as the spicy notes bring their own kind of warmth to the tummy. The recipe makes a nice sized pot of goodness that can be easily scooped into serving sized containers and kept frozen for a quick future meal.

Chilly Weather Chili

3 lbs lean ground beef
1 (29 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (29 ounce) cans kidney beans ( with liquid)
1 (29 ounce) cans pinto beans ( with liquid)
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup diced green chili pepper
1/2 cup diced celery
3 or 4 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 teaspoons cumin powder
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups water

In a large (thick bottomed) pot , cook ground beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Combine beef with the remaining ingredients, and bring to a simmer over low heat. Continue to cook while stirring every 15 minutes, for 2 to 3 hours.

Posted in Beef, Dinner, Main Dish, Soup

Our Award-Winning Chili

Posted on by lmc

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Award Winning Chili and Creamy Cornbread Muffins, a wonderful dinner combination for these sub-zero Midwestern temperatures.

Several years ago, (2005 to be exact) our small town’s Chamber of Commerce hosted a chili cook-off. It was held in a lovely park located in the town square on a crisp fall day. On the west side of the park, the usual hustle and bustle of the Saturday morning farmer’s market was in full swing. Tables and chairs were set up around the beautiful gazebo located in the center of the park. And all of the chili cook-off competitors situated their booths around the gazebo.
I had read about the cook-off in the local paper and thought that entering the competition would be a great way to spend a beautiful fall day with the family and to see how my chili would fare against the others. I had been serving this recipe for years and friends and family seemed to love it.
The morning of the cook-off, we got up early, packed up the car with chili fixings and decorations for our booth. I was intent on winning the trophy for the best chili and the sportsmanship award, given to the most neighborly participant that had gone the extra yard to create a festive looking booth. I have an embroidery machine so I had embroidered custom attire for the day. I had purchased a few yards of cotton fabric to make chef hats and simple pants for the kids. We all wore matching embroidered sweatshirts to show off our family name. The kids were young and eager to help. They were excited about the festivities for the day.
I have fond memories of this day as we did indeed win top prize in both categories. From then on, this has been the recipe that I turn to when making a big pot of chili during the fall and winter months. It’s actually a very simple recipe full of flavor and warmth.
I must say, the weather these past several weeks has been brutal. I have been scouring my recipes to provide hearty meals for the family. It seems we are constantly out shoveling snow, heading off to work or school and returning home only to find that the snow needs to be tended to again. This chili recipe really hits the spot during the cold winter months in the Midwest.

Our Award-Winning Chili

5 slices of bacon
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground chuck
3/4 pound beef sirloin, cubed
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer
1 cup brewed coffee
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
1 (14 ounce) can beef broth
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
3 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans

In a large pot over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp. Remove to paper towels. Cook onions, garlic, ground chuck and sirloin cubes in bacon drippings until brown; drain. Crumble cooled bacon and return to pot.
Mix in the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

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Posted in appetizers/snacks, Food

Patrick’s Most Requested Nachos Grande

Posted on by lmc

nachos

On our first trip to Indianapolis, we stayed in a hotel across the street from the Hard Rock Café. We had never been there with the children before so we headed across the street for a meal. We ordered the nachos as an appetizer. I was surprised to see how quickly my kids gobbled them up. I had made nachos at home before. I’d spent lots of time cooking the ground beef and adding my own blend of spices to season the meat…my kids seemed to think they were pretty tasty. But they really seemed to LOVE the nachos at Hard Rock Cafe. When the waitress came by to check on us, I asked her what kind of meat and seasonings were put in their taco recipe. She said, “ I think it’s just a can of chili.” Boy, was I surprised! For years, I had been making the seasoned meat mix from scratch and here my kids were gaga over the canned chili! I have been making my nachos with canned chili ever since.

Patrick’s Most Requested Nachos Grande

6 cups tortilla chips
1 16 oz can chili, with or without beans, which ever you prefer
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4 plum tomatoes
½ cup diced onion
1 clove minced garlic
4 Tbls chopped cilantro
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese for topping

Place half of the chips in a greased 13×9 baking dish. Sprinkle half of the canned chili and cheese over the chips. Repeat with a second layer of chips, chili, and cheese. Place the baking dish in the microwave and cook for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. In a small bowl, mix together the tomatoes, onion, garlic and cilantro. Sprinkle over the nachos with remaining shredded cheese. Serve with prepared salsa or guacamole on the side for extra flavor.