Sunday, January 18, 2009

Grandma's Secret Recipe... Chili!!

I love my family's cooking. You just can't beat it, not with a wooden spoon, not with anything. That being the case, I haven't found anyone who can top the goodness that is my grandma E's chili. I asked her for the recipe, but of course, that is top secret... aka, no recipe - she makes it up as she goes along. But she did give me the base of what she does.

And, me being me, I made my own recipe out of it. If I remember it all correctly it was (see, it runs in the family)....

1 lb ground chuck (next time I will use ground turkey - but do whatever you like best)
2 small onions, diced
1/2 package mushrooms, diced
1 medium green pepper, diced
1/2 left-over tomato (from a previous salad), diced
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
15 oz can Bushes baked beans (Granda uses Bushes chili beans - I just grabbed the wrong can)
46 oz low sodium V8 juice
15 oz can whole kernel corn
1 small can diced black olives, drained
1 can diced tomatoes
3 tsp chili powder
2 tsp ground black pepper

First, saute the ground chuck until most of the pink is gone. Then add the onions, mushroom, and green pepper. I added black pepper to this as well. Once the meat is cooked and the onions are tender, drain any fat -- VERY IMPORTANT, do not skip :)

Next, using a big stock pot mix the sauteed mixture with the rest of the ingredients. Let sit over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Continue over heat for at least 1 hour, however the longer the better. I have come to the conclusion that its best on the second day.

I'm sure this would also work in a crock pot. In fact, I may have to give that a shot here soon!

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