Tennessee White Chili

Good Lands! What has gotten into me?! Spring has been here for a couple of days now. Though truth be told, here in Virginia it has seemed like “Spring” has been here for quite some time. We’ve been having really warm temperatures for March, after an exceptionally warm winter. I mean today the old mercury is going to be pushing around 79° F (26° C)! I just gotta say, that is as hot as I would like Summer to get, much less Spring! I am absolutely terrified what it will be like here come say July?!! My husband, myself and even our pup just hate the hot, humid Virginia summer and I bet this one, judging from all recent indications, will be a doozy! I think my family will definitely be fleeing north, most likely to Newfoundland

Cuckold's Cove Newfoundland

and probably to Ireland as well.

Slea Head Drive, Dingle Peninsula, Ireland

So I have no idea why I am giving you a recipe for Chili today. Other than this Chili is absolutely delicious and hopefully some of you are enjoying more reasonable early Spring temperatures than we are here. We love chili and have already given you a mouth-watering recipe for Texas Beef Chili, which was chock full of steak and not a bean in sight! Today’s chili recipe comes from the great State of Tennessee. A State which my husband, pup and I will be visiting later this year I very happy to say. (Nashville here we come! WooHoo!) In Tennessee, they apparently go for chicken over beef and add plenty of beans to the mix. This recipe called for 3 – 15 oz. cans of cannellini beans. I used two cans and thought the bean ratio was correct. I also added a 4 oz. can of chopped green chilis, because I have mentioned before, we really enjoy spicy, hot food. Though I wouldn’t say this chili was super hot and spicy with the additions of the green chilis, they just added a little kick to it.

The chili was really delicious and very easy to make. You use chicken breast from a rotisserie chicken and there is no need to cook this chili for hours on end, it comes together rather quickly. This hearty, yet light chili is made even better by the addition of some shredded cheese, sour cream and crushed up tortilla chips, not to mention a nice cold beer! I’m very pleased to have added this White Chili to our chili repertoire. Give it a whirl if you’re still enjoying nice, brisk chili weather in your neck of the woods!

Tennessee White Chili

recipe from: Food Republic and The Lodge Cast Iron Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 pounds cooked chicken breast, cut into small cubes
• 3 15-ounce cans Great Northern or cannellini beans
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• 1 4 oz. can of diced green chilis
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• chicken broth, to desired consistency
• shredded monterey jack, to garnish

Directions:

Heat the oil in a 5-quart cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender.

Stir in the chicken, beans, cilantro, green chilis, cumin, salt, and cayenne and simmer 30 minutes. If you like, you can add chicken broth as you prefer.

Ladle the chili into bowls and garnish each serving with cheese, sour cream and crushed tortilla chips, if desired.

Enjoy!

Gringo Chili

So I just can’t shake this spicy kick I’m on. Gringo Chili is my spicy offering today. Unlike my Texas Beef Chili, which shuns beans of any type, this chili is chock full of black beans. Jay and I just kind of threw this together, without any proper recipe a few years ago. But we liked it so much, I jotted the ingredients down. Every New Year’s Eve we settle down with a big pot of this chili to ring in the New Year, and it usually makes several other appearances throughout the winter. Let me say right now before we go any further, this chili is spicy! It gets the majority of its kick from the jar of Green Mountain Gringo Salsa that we add to it. (Hence its name) Generally we do add an entire jar and we usually use the “hot” variety, though I listed “medium” heat salsa in the ingredients list, since I know everyone does not share our love of spice. Green Mountain Gringo also has a “mild” heat salsa for those of you with really tender taste buds. Of course, you can substitute in your favourite salsa if you have one, but if you haven’t tried the good old Green Mountain Gringo brand, you might want to give it a whirl. This chili is wonderfully flavourful, hearty and spicy. It will definitely warm you up on a cold winter’s eve. I usually serve it with several toppings. Folks seem to love the Fritos for adding a lovely salty crunch to each bite and the guacamole/sour cream toppings for cooling things down a bit! I also make up a batch of corn muffins (Cheddar & Cilantro Cornbread Muffins to be specific – recipe to follow soon!) to go along with the meal, which are always welcome. Pop open your favourite beer and you’ll be set to dig in!

Gringo Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 lb. hot Italian Sausage
• 2 –  14.5 oz. cans of Petite Cut Diced Tomatoes (we use the ones with zesty jalapeños or chilis)
• 1/2 – 1 jar of salsa of your choice – we usually use Green Mountain Gringo medium heat salsa
• 1 – 15.5 oz. can of black beans
• 1 cup of lager beer
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
• 1 -2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 Tablespoon cornmeal (used to thicken chili)
• Garnish: shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, Fritos, guacamole, chopped cilantro

Directions:

In a large pot, brown ground beef and sausage. Drain off excess fat.

Add diced tomatoes, salsa, beans, beer, Worchesterhire sauce, chili powder and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well. Cook over medium low heat for 30 minutes. ( If you are not in a rush, I usually bring the chili to simmer and then reduce the heat to low and let it go for 1-2 hours).

Once you are close to getting ready to serve, place 3 tablespoons cornmeal in a small dish and add remaining lager beer, or broth from chili to cornmeal. Add enough liquid to the cornmeal that it is pourable. Mix well, making sure there are no lumps. Add cornmeal mixture to chili, stir well and increase heat for 3-5 minutes until chili has thickened.

Stir in the fresh chopped cilantro.

Serve garnished with toppings of your choice, corn muffins and plenty of beer to wash it down!

Enjoy!

Texas Beef Chili

On a rainy, damp, cold day what is better than a big, warm bowl of spicy chili? You may ask what makes this chili particularly Texan. I definitely did. Apparently folks from the Lone Star state absolutely do not use beans or tomatoes in their chili. Chili, for Texans, is all about the beef, (being big chunks of steak, not ground beef) and the chili spices. This chili definitely had some heat to it, but Ancho chiles are fairly mild, so I did add a bit of cayenne pepper into the mix, cause we like it hot! This hearty chili was perfect for us, spicy and chock full of incredibly tender and flavourful steak. It cooks for 1 1/2 – 2 hours to achieve its level of yumminess, so make sure you have plenty of time to let it simmer. Patience is a virtue, so I’m told. I served this Texas Beef Chili with some spicy cornbread ebelskivers, but warmed tortillas would also be great. Guess those Texans really do know their chili!

Texas Beef Chili

recipe slightly adapted from Williams-Sonoma “Comfort Food” by Rick Rodgers

serves: 8

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 Cup Ancho Chili Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Spanish Paprika
• 2 Teaspoons Dried Oregano
• 4 lbs. Boneless Beef Chuck Roast
• Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Large Yellow Onion, chopped
• 1 Jalapeño pepper, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
• 1 large Red Bell Pepper, seeded and chopped
• 4 cloves Garlic, chopped
• 1 1/2 Cups Lager Beer
• 1 Cup Beef Stock
• 2 Tablespoons yellow Cornmeal

For Serving:

Shredded Cheddar Cheese, chopped red onion, sour cream, minced jalapeño peppers

Directions:

Place cumin powder, ancho chile powder, paprika, and oregano in bowl. Mix well and set aside.

Cut the beef into 1/2 inch cubes. Season with salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. In batches to avoid crowding, add the beef cubes and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.

Add the remaining 1 Tablespoon of oil to the pot. Add the onion, jalapeño, bell pepper, and garlic and reduce the heat to medium. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Uncover, add the spice mixture, and stir well for 30 seconds. Stir in the beer and stock. Return the beef to the pot, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the beef is fork-tender, 1 1/2 – 2 hours.

Remove the chili from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Skim off any fat that rises to the surface. Return the pot to medium heat and ring to a simmer. Transfer about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid to a small bowl, add the cornmeal, and whisk well. Stir into the chili and cook until lightly thickened, about 1 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the chili into warmed bowls and serve hot, with bowls of Cheddar, onions, sour cream, and jalapeños on the side for sprinkling on top.

serves: 8