Best. Chili. Ever.

I love this chili. It definitely isn't a quick meal, but if you have the time, it will pay off. Things go a lot faster if you have a food processor, but if not you will get a chance to work on your knife skills. This recipe will serve a large crowd, or keep you happy all winter with lots of frozen chili in your freezer.

Hoosier Mama Chili

2 pounds ground beef chuck
1 pound hot bulk sausage
3 (15 ounce) cans chili beans in medium heat sauce, drained
1 (15 ounce) can chili beans in spicy sauce
2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 7 oz. can diced green chili peppers
1/4 cup real bacon bits
4 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
1 12 oz. beer (I used Fat Tire)
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (I used Vampfire)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon white sugar


Brown beef and sausage in a skillet, drain fat. Add meat to a pre-heated crock-pot. (A big crock pot!!!) Add everything else listed and stir. Let the chili simmer on low for 4-6 hours (or longer).

Serve with fritos, cheese, sour cream, onions...or anything else your heart desires. If you don't want to use a crock pot, you can easily make this in a pot on the stove, just let it simmer as long as you can, the longer the better.



source: adapted from allrecipes.com

Southwestern Surprise!

I've had everything on hand to make this for a few weeks now, it is a great pantry meal! I'm also looking forward to freezing about 3/4ths of the recipe, as it makes a ton! I served this with some Tastefully Simple Bountiful Beer Bread (so good!).

Southwestern Surprise

4 oz. cooked extra-lean ground beef, drained
One 16oz package of frozen sweet corn kernels
Two 15oz cans pinto beans, rinsed & drained
One 15oz can black beans, rinsed & drained
Three 14.5oz cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes
One 14.5oz can Italian-style diced tomatoes
1 envelope ranch dip/dressing mix
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
1/4 cup minced onions
salt & pepper to taste

Pour all ingredients into a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

12 servings - per serving: 168 cals, 1g fat, 702mg sodium, 6.5g fiber, 6g sugars, 9g protein

Source: Hungry Girl

I love anything you can dip grilled cheese in!

I love grilled cheese sandwiches. But I love them even more when I have a hot bowl of soup to dip them in. This recipe was originally a Tomato Tortilla soup recipe, but I left out the tortilla portion of the recipe and made it more of a spicy tomato soup. It was quick and yummy!

Spicy Tomato Soup

1 teaspoon canola oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 (14.5-ounce) cans no salt added diced tomatoes with juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

Heat the remaining 1 teaspoons of oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and translucent. Add the garlic, jalapeno, cumin, and oregano and cook for 1 minute more. Add the broth and tomatoes, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir in lime juice.
Remove the pan from the heat and puree with an immersion blender or in 2 batches in a regular blender until the soup lightens in color but chunks of tomato remain, about 30 seconds. Serve the soup topped with the tortilla strips, a dollop of sour cream.

Source: Adapted from Ellie Kreiger

Rustic Turkey Chili

Nothing beats a big pot of chili on a cold winter night! This one is packed with veggies and I substitute turkey (but you are welcome to use beef) to make it even healthier. The best part is, you can easily make this in under 30 minutes, which is handy when you come home to a hungry boyfriend.





Rustic Turkey Chili


1 lb ground turkey
1 large onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 T olive oil
29 oz. can tomato sauce
29 oz. can whole tomatoes (drain and quarter)
14.5 oz. can kidney beans in medium chili sauce
1 packet chili seasoning mix


Put olive oil in pot, add onion, pepper, and celery and cook until soft over medium high heat. Add turkey and cook until no longer pink. Add chili seasoning packet and mix well. Next add beans, sauce, and tomatoes. Simmer over low heat for 10-15 min.

The Leaves are Fallin'

With colder weather creeping up on us, I felt like it was time for some good ol' Chicken Soup. My friend Beth and I love to cook as much as I do, and bought a neat soup cookbook. I copied a few recipes and we tried this one this week. It was very fast to throw together, and very flavorful. Perfect for any fall night!




Roasted Chicken & Noodle Soup

1 Rotisserie Chicken
2 tsp. vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped
8 cups chicken broth
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
2 medium carrots, sliced (1 cup)
2 celery stalks, sliced (1 cup)
3/4 cup uncooked pasta (I used spirals)

Remove skin and cut up chicken. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until they begin to brown, then reduce heat to medium and allow to caramelize. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, heat the broth, black pepper, carrots, & celery in a pot and bring to a boil. Stir in chicken and pasta and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 10 min until pasta is tender, stir in
onions and serve immediately.

Source: Swanson Soup Cookbook

Souper Cheezy!

This soup was awesome! Perfect for a cool fall day. I'm sure to be making more pots of this soon.




Loaded Broccoli Cheddar Soup

1/2 cup diced onions
5 cups frozen broccoli
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
12 oz shredded cheddar cheese
2 oz cream cheese
2 TBS butter
salt & pepper to taste
12 oz chicken breasts
2-3 tsp corn starch

Combine all ingredients (except chicken & corn starch) in a pot and cook over medium heat.

Meanwhile, dice and cook the chicken. Add cooked chicken to pot and bring to a boil. Mix corn starch in a few tsp. of water, then add to the pot and allow soup to thicken.

Top with additional sour cream, shredded cheese, and bacon bits if desired.