Quick and Easy Chili

We've all had that wonderful chili that has taken all afternoon to make.  The kind where you can taste the richness of having simmered for hours.  The hearty thickness that comes with taking your time.  Well, sometimes we want chili that good, but we just don't have that time to spend.

This is a super-easy chili with a great depth of flavor that can be ready in about 30 minutes.  With a few simple tricks, you can produce a chili so good that no one will believe you didn't slave all afternoon.

Here's what you'll need:
2-3 TBSP bacon fat (or vegetable oil)
1/2 c finely chopped onion
1 pound ground meat (I use 93/7 ground beef)
4-6 cloves garlic, finely minced
salt and pepper
1 lg can crushed tomatoes
1 15-oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz can great northern beans (or canellini or black beans), rinsed and drained
4 rounded tsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp Ancho chile powder
1 tsp cocoa powder
1/4 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream, for serving

Melt the bacon love in a large pot.  Add the onion.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  This will heap the onion to release it's water, and break down quicker.

When the onion has softened, add the ground meat.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  (NOT the tsp.)  It's important to season every layer of a dish.  This balances the flavor and ensures you don't have a tasteless, bland dish.

When the meat is browned, add the garlic and mix well.  If you add the garlic too early, it will burn because it has a high sugar content. Add it after the meat and it maintains it's flavor.

Add the tomatoes and the beans.

Chili powder, oregano and Ancho chile powder are standard chili seasonings.

Add the chili, oregano, chile, salt and pepper (the measured amounts).  Stir well.

Cocoa powder and liquid smoke are the secret weapons in this recipe.  Cocoa powder adds a richness and depth of flavor.  The liquid smoke increases the flavor of the meat and helps it smell like you've been working all day.

Stir in the cocoa and liquid smoke.  Bring to a boil, reduce a simmer.  Cover and let cook 15-20 minutes.

Serve with cheddar cheese and sour cream, if desired.  Serves 5-6.  Will keep in the fridge for about 5 days, but it can also be frozen for up to 6 months.

Enjoy!

Shepherd's Pie with Bacon and Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Shepherd's Pie is one of those dishes that warms you all the way down to your toes.  It's satisfying and homey, but still pretty easy to make.  I LOVE the basic version with meat, gravy and mashed potatoes, but sometimes I just need to tweak things a little.  The addition of bacon and cheddar add a richness to the meat portion, and the garlic mashed potatoes... well, what else is there to say?

Here's what you'll need:
4 slices bacon, chopped, browned and drained
1 onion, chopped
1 lb lean ground beef (I used 96% fat free)
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 TBSP flour
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 - 2 1/2 c beef broth
1 c frozen peas and carrots
1 c cheddar cheese, grated
3 c mashed potatoes (boil 5-6 lg potatoes in salted water until fork tender.  Mash with 1 TBSP minced garlic, 4 TBSP butter, 1/3 c sour cream, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper)

Preheat oven to 375.  Grease a 10" casserole dish.

Brown the bacon in a large skillet.  Remove to paper towels to drain, keeping most of the drippings in the pan.  Add the onion, and saute until tender.  (If you try to cook the onions with the bacon, the bacon will not get crispy.  I'm not sure why; it's just been my experience.)  Add the beef to the onions, cooking until brown. Season with salt and pepper and thyme.  Sprinkle with the flour, then cook 1-2 minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste. This will help thicken the gravy.

 
Add Worcestershire sauce and 2 c beef broth; bring to a boil.  If gravy is too thick, add extra 1/2 c beef broth.  Boil 1 minute.  Add bacon back into the skillet.

Add frozen peas and carrots.  Stir well.

Spread meat mixture in greased casserole dish.  Sprinkle with the shredded cheese.

Top with the mashed potatoes, spreading to the edges of the dish, completely covering the meat mixture.

Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes, until the top is brown and the gravy is bubbling around the edges.

Let set 10 minutes before serving.  This will allow the cheese to cool a little and also help the gravy to thicken.

Enjoy!

Basic Meat Sauce for Pasta

Spaghetti or some shape of pasta seems to be a staple at just about any family's dinner table.  I know it's so convenient to just crack open a jar of sauce.  When you're under time constraints, that makes perfect sense. But some night when you're a little less rushed, try making your own.   It's super easy and doesn't take long, but the flavor just can't be beat.  This is a basic recipe, but once you get it down, it's very easy to customize it to your own tastes.

Here's what you'll need:
1 TBSP bacon grease or oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 TBSP garlic, chopped
1 lb ground beef (you can use turkey, but you'll need to increase the seasonings)
salt and pepper
1 lg can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried basil
1 TBSP dried parsley
1/4 grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the bacon grease or oil in a large skillet.  An old Italian woman once told me that pork is what makes your sauce.  I don't know how true that is, but I do think bacon makes just about anything better.  Since I always have bacon "juice" on hand, that is what I use.

Add the onion to the pan, and sprinkle with a little salt.  This will help the onions to "sweat", which means they will release some of their liquid, and soften a bit.

Add the ground beef to the onions.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  It's important to flavor every layer of a dish.  I'm not talking teaspoons of the stuff.  Just enough to give it the meat some flavor as it browns.  Crumble up the meat as it browns.

When the meat is thoroughly browned, drain fat, if necessary.  I use beef that is 93% less fat, so there isn't usually much to drain.  Return to the meat to the pot and add the garlic, tomatoes, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and the herbs.  (I use dried herbs because I like my sauce to cook pretty long.  If you're looking to eat it really soon, you can use fresh herbs.  You will have to use 3 times as much fresh.)

Bring the sauce to a boil.  Cover and reduce heat.  Allow the sauce to simmer, stirring occasionally, at least 30 minutes.  Stir in Parmesan cheese.

Your sauce is now ready to eat.  This is a hearty sauce, so it needs a sturdy pasta to go with it, like rigatoni, ziti or papardelle.  It's also good in lasagna and other baked pasta dishes.  This serves 4-5.  I usually have enough to freeze for a second meal.  Give it a try! When you see how easy and delicious it is, the jar will be no more.

Enjoy!