Chili

It's December 27th and winter has finally decided to make an appearance. In Clearwater, we are on the eve of 8-12" of snow and ice. I thought I'd officially celebrate the arrival of freeze your face off cold with and all time favorite, Chili. This recipe is extremely quick and easy to put together and can be spiced up as much as you'd like. Enjoy!

On a side note, each recipe now has a "PRINTABLE VERSION" available. Below the list of ingredients on each recipe page, you will find a link that opens a window with a printer friendly version for those of you that are interested.

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef (I'd suggest 97/3 or 95/5 to avoid too much fat)

1 14 oz can tomato sauce

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes

1 14 oz can kidney beans (or black beans if you'd like)

1 14 oz can chili beans
1 cup water

1 small onion diced (roughly 1 cup)

1 celery stalk (diced)

4 oz can diced green chiles

1.5 TBSP chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp garlic powder 

Spicy Option

1/2 to 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper

Smoky Heat Option

1 tsp chipotle chili powder

Click here for a PRINTABLE VERSION

As indicated above, I would buy ground beef with very low fat content (i.e. 97/3 = 97% lean & 3% fat). The higher the fat ratio, the more liquid you are going to have in your cooked taco mixture. You could also use ground turkey or chicken if you prefer.

Add all ingredients to the crockpot. I would use your hands to break-up the meat into small pieces. If you don't, you will get large chunks of cooked meat rather than the smaller preferred chili style.

Mix all of the ingredients until combined and the seasoning is well incorporated. Cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours.

Serve with your favorite garnishes. Some prefer oyster crackers or shredded cheese. As you can see, my "garnish" of choice is a toasted and melty grilled cheese. Stay warm!

Taco Salad

Christmas is just around the corner and next week at the high school the countdown to the end of finals and Friday will be on. We have made a major transition in our house in the last few weeks. Basketball season has started. That means that Erin takes over the cooking duties for the next few months. In the spirit of the upcoming Star Wars movie (of which she has seen none, I repeat, NONE OF THEM), I am attempting to be Yoda to her Luke in the way of the Crock pot. This Taco Salad was one of the last meals I put together before practice started. We use the taco mixture on lettuce and Fritos as taco salad, but it would be great in hard or soft taco shells, nachos or authentic taco salad shells if you are able. Hope you enjoy it. Feliz Navidad!

Ingredients

1 bag of Fritos (You can see we like the knock-off Kroger brand)

1 head of lettuce (We used romaine)

1 lb ground beef (I'd suggest 97/3 or 95/5 to avoid too much fat)

1 packet Taco seasoning (Roughly 3 Tbsp if you have the big tub like me)
1 diced onion

1 diced red bell pepper
1 14 oz can black beans (rinsed & drained)

1 14 oz can corn (rinsed & drained)
1 14 oz can Rotel (diced tomatoes with green chiles - drained)

8 oz block of colby jack cheese (shredded)

Optional Garnishes

Sour Cream

Salsa

Click here for a PRINTABLE RECIPE.

As indicated above, I would buy ground beef with very low fat content (i.e. 97/3 = 97% lean & 3% fat). The higher the fat ratio, the more liquid you are going to have in your cooked taco mixture. You could also use ground turkey which is very lean and my wife "claims" is better for you than red meat. Bah Humbug!

Also, I highly recommend buying your cheese in blocks and shredding it yourself. When cheese is produced, it gets sprayed with a thin film of wax as a preservative. Store bought shredded cheese doesn't melt nearly as easily or smoothly because each shred is covered in wax. A full block however, only has a coating on the outside. If you shred it yourself, it will melt much more evenly and results in that stringy, stretchy cheesy goodness we all love. Trust me. A little more work will go a long way.

If you would like to make your own Taco seasoning because you are concerned about MSG or too much sodium, check out this recipe for Homemade Taco Seasoning. 

Add the diced onion and bell pepper, black beans (rinsed and drained), corn, (drained) and Rotel to the crockpot. 

Add the ground beef to the mixture. I would use your hands to breakup the meat into small pieces. If you don't, you will get large chunks of cooked meat rather than the smaller more taco style mixture. Add the taco seasoning to the top of the ground beef.

Mix all of the ingredients until combined and the seasoning is well incorporated. Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.

Depending on the type of ground beef you use, you may need to drain or siphon off some of the excess liquid. You are now ready to serve in the taco application of your choice!

Serve on a bed of lettuce and top with cheese, Fritos and your favorite Mexican garnishes.