Beef and Sausage Chili

I’ve already admitted to liking not-so-popular foods like meatloaf, mushrooms and dried plums …so I might as well admit to another – I LOVE baked beans!  Like, love love them!  Hubs thinks it is hilarious how much I like baked beans.

When I saw this chili recipe on Milk & Honey, that includes a can of baked beans, I knew it was going to be a winner – and it was!  Wow!  This is ridiculously good.  Spicy (I’m still feeling the heat on my lips as I type this) but oh so good.  I am absolutely stuffed right now but already can’t wait for leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

Source: Bride & Groom First and Forever Cookbook

INGREDIENTS
1T. Vegetable oil
1 Large yellow onions, chopped
3T. Garlic, chopped fine
3T. Chili powder
2T. Paprika
1T. Cumin
2t. Dried oregano
1lb. Lean ground beef
1lb. Italian sausage links, removed from casings and crumbled (I used hot sausage links)
2t. Kosher salt, plus more as needed
1 28 oz. can Crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz. can Kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz. can BBQ baked beans
1T. Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in an 8 quart heavy-bottom stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally until tender, 7 to 10 minutes.

Add the ground beef, sausage, and 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt.  Increase heat to medium-high and cook the meat, stirring frequently, until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.

If the meat is looking a little greasy, tilt the stockpot and spoon out some of the fat.  If you used lean meat, then you shouldn’t have to do this.

Add the chili powder, paprika, cumin and oregano and stir until the spices are coating the meat.

Stir in remaining ingredients. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Adjust the seasonings with more kosher salt or chipotle chiles if necessary. Serve with your favorite chili toppers (and if you’re like us, serve over elbow noodles).

Husband Rating – 4.5 out of 5 – “Almost the perfect chili recipe.  This is amazing!”

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The Best Turkey Chili

I love my Mom’s chili recipe – it’s thick, tomatoey and great over elbow noodles.  But, recently I’ve wanted to try my hand at a recipe with a little more substance so I whipped this up.  It was wonderful!  So thick, rich and had much more flavor than the chili I’m used to.

This recipe makes a rather large batch of chili (I  made this for a committee meeting and it easily fed 8 people), so feel free to cut the recipe in half if you’re just making it for 2 or 4 people.

Like our Halloween placemats?  🙂

INGREDIENTS
1.5lb. Ground Turkey
1 Red Pepper
1 Green Pepper
1 Yellow Onion
3 Cloves Garlic
1T. Olive Oil
3 Cans Reduced Sodium Tomato Soup
1 Can Pink Beans
2.5T. Chili Powder (or, if you have it, Penzeys Chili 9000 is awesome)
2t. Cayenne Pepper
Salt & Pepper to taste
Sour cream, cheddar cheese, green onions – or other toppings of your choice

DIRECTIONS
Finely dice peppers and onion.  Add to a large pot with olive oil.  Saute until just cooked – about 6 minutes.

Add turkey and brown completely.  Drain off any excess fat.

Add garlic and stir to combine.

Next, add the soup, seasonings and beans along with 2 cans of water.  Stir to combine completely.

Simmer on low for 45 minutes with the cover on. Remove cover and cook an additional 20-30 minutes to thicken.

Serve with cornbread and toppings of your choice.

Husband Rating – 4 out of 5 – “Delicious first attempt.  Next time we should try it with beef or buffalo!”

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