Julia's Chili for Snow Days

One day I was trying to improve my chili recipe and it was snowing.....this is the ONLY Chili I make that my husband likes...He's pretty picky about chili! I do LOVE this stuff!!!

Julia’s Chili for Snow Days

2 pounds Ground Chuck or whatever is the most lean

1 can beef broth -- 14 oz

2 cans water

1 cup milk + Mesa flour - enough to make thick

6 to 8 ounces Coke Cola

1 can tomato paste -- 6 oz

1 teaspoon Hershey’s syrup (I use the dry chocolate)

½ teaspoon instant coffee

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons cumin

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon oregano powder

½ teaspoon seasoned salt

Chopped Chives (your guess…..)

Cilantro Leaves (again, your guess.)

Dehydrated Burgundy Wine

Six Pepper Seasonings

(If you don’t have the above listed seasonings, just do whatever!!!!) I’m sure it will be good.

3 cans Ranch Style beans (I use 1 with peppers, and 2 with onion)

1. Brown beef in a couple tablespoons of oil (I use Olive oil) in a heavy saucepan, crumbling beef with a fork until the pink color disappears.

2. Stir in beef broth, water, coke, milk with Mesa flour, and tomato paste, stirring until smooth.

3. Just dump all the rest of the stuff in the pot and let cook on low most of the day; I actually prefer the CrockPot.

15 BEAN BEEF CHILI

This recipe came from one of "my girls" and it is delicious! Tammy is one GREAT cook - she is her Mama's own girl!

15 Bean Chili Tammy Green Williamson

2 or 3 lbs ground chuck or whatever you prefer

3 large onions, cut and sliced thin

2 green peppers, diced (optional)

1 lb bag dried 15 bean soup (don’t be afraid of dried beans as the directions are below.

2 lg cans diced tomatoes, not drained (I used 2 cans Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes)

1 can spaghetti sauce

SPICES: You may want to lessen these ingredients or add more - suited to your taste.

1 tbsp garlic salt

1 tbsp seven pepper seasoning (or ground black pepper)

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp cumin

Optional topping for serving: Fiesta cheese and sour cream

THE BEANS: This has to be done the night before.

Dump the dry beans into a colander, rinse well. Put them into a large bowl and cover with 6-8 quarts of cold water. Let them set at least 8 hours, or overnight. The next day, about 4-6 hours before you want to eat dinner, drain and rinse the beans, dump into a pot, cover with 6 quarts of hot water, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2-½ hours, stirring frequently, covered with a lid that is tilted a bit. You can simmer 3 hours if they aren’t looking soft enough. Set the beans aside, off the burner, while you make the meat. Or you can start the meat 2 hours into the bean cooking.

Cook spices, ground beef, onions and peppers until the beef is no longer pink, onions are transparent and peppers are very, very soft. I cook it long past when the beef is done so the flavors can “marry”. Just keep it attended and stir a lot. Add the spaghetti sauce. The fat will rise to the edges, and you can dip it off with a spoon. That way, you don’t lose the spices. Add the tomatoes to the meat mixture with the spaghetti sauce and simmer for a least 15 minutes. I do it for 30 because the flavors infuse better and become bolder. Now dump meat mixture into the beans that have been cooking. DO NOT drain the water the beans have been cooking in. Add the meat right into it. Simmer covered for about 30 minutes, stirring often. You can even cook it about an hour. I think it tastes better cooked longer. ** (Note from Julia - I like dumping it all in the Crock Pot)

Serve in bowls topped with cheese and sour cream, if desired.

CARAMEL-PECAN BARS

A recipe from Southern Living - Nov '09 Delicious! Most wonderful - makes me think of a Pecan Pie, but not as sweet.

CARAMEL-PECAN BARS

Makes about 2 dozen -

3-1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans

2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup powdered sugar

3/4 cup butter, cubed

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

2/3 cup butter

3 Tbsp. whipping cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of a 13x9-inch pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides; lightly grease foil.

2. Arrange pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake pecans at 350 degrees for 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant. Remove from oven to wire rack. Cool completely (about 15 minutes).

3. Pulse flour, powdered sugar, and 3/4 cup butter in a food processor 5 to 6 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal. Press mixture on bottom and 3/4 inch up sides of prepared pan.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 15 minutes).

5. Bring brown sugar and next 3 ingredients to a boil in a 3-qt sauce pan over medium-high heat. Stir in toasted pecans, and spoon hot filling into prepared crust.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Remove from oven to wire rack; cool completely (about 30 minutes). Lift baked bars from pan, using aluminum foil sides as handles. Transfer to a serving plate, and cut into 2-inch squares.

OVER THE RAINBOW MACARONI AND CHEESE

OVER THE RAINBOW MACARONI AND CHEESE

1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon butter, divided, plus more to prepare casserole dish

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded muenster cheese

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mild Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Salt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 pound elbow macaroni

2 cups half-and-half

1 cup (8 ounces) processed cheese food (such as Velveeta), cut into small cubes

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a deep 2-1/2 quart casserole. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix muenster, mild and sharp Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add oil, then macaroni; cook until macaroni is just tender, about 7 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain well. Return to the cooking pot. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Stir into macaroni. Add half-and-half, 1-1/2 cups shredded cheese, cubed processed cheese and eggs. Stir in seasoned salt and pepper. Transfer to casserole dish.

Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese; dot with remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Bake until mixture bubbles around the edges, about 35 minutes. Serve hot.

TOTALLY OVER THE RAINBOW WONDERFUL! The best I've had since my Grandma made macaroni and cheese for me.

SOUR CREAM BLUEBERRY BREAD

SOUR CREAM BLUEBERRY BREAD

1-1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour, divided

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter or margarine, softened

1-1/4 cups granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup sour cream

1-1/2 cups frozen blueberries (DO NOT THAW)

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, divided

Grease and flour two 7-1/2x3-1/2"metal loaf pans. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter with sugar in a large bowl until light. Add eggs, vanilla and sour cream; beat well. Blend in flour mixture; beat on medium-high speed for 1 minute.

In a separate bowl, lightly toss blueberries with remaining 1 tablespoon flour. Carefully fold blueberries into batter. (*I DO NOT GET THE BERRIES OUT OF THE FREEZER UNTIL READY TO DO THIS STEP).

Set prepared pans on a larger baking sheet for easy handling; divide batter evenly between the pans. Sprinkle each loaf with 1/4 cup walnuts.

Bake loaves about 45 minutes, until light golden brown and the center springs up when pushed lightly. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

***I DO NOT like Blueberries - but love this bread! Go figure.

CREAMED CHICKEN AND BISCUITS

Creamed Chicken and Biscuits Serves 6

½ large sweet onion

1 can Mexican Corn, drained and rinsed

1-½ teaspoon butter

4 cups chopped cooked chicken

1 (10-¾ ounce) can Cream of Chicken Soup

1 Cup Sour Cream

½ Cup milk

1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese

6 frozen biscuits, thawed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of an 11x7-inch baking dish.

2. Chop the onion. Heat butter in a small nonstick skillet over med-high heat until melted. Stir in onion. Saute until tender.

3. Combine onion, chicken, soup, sour cream, milk in a med bowl and mix well. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven.

4. Sprinkle baked layer with ¾ cup of the cheddar cheese. Arrange biscuits in single layer over top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

5. Bake until biscuits are golden brown and the sauce is bubbly, about 20 minutes longer. Serve immediately.

This is so very good, and a sweet friend brought this to us after I had back surgery. So much appreciated.

Peach Enchiladas

PEACH ENCHILADAS

Yield: 16 servings

Preparation: 15 Minutes

Bake: 45 Minutes

2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent-roll dough

4 firm South Carolina peaches, peeled, pitted, and quartered

1-1/2 cups sugar

1 cup butter, melted

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 (12-ounce) can citrus-flavored soda, such as Mountain Dew

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 13x9x2 inch pan with nonstick spray; set aside.

Unroll crescent-roll dough and separate into triangles. Place 1 peach quarter on wide end of 1 dough triangle. Roll up from large end to small end to encase peach slice. Place in prepared pan. Repeat with remaining crescent-roll dough and peaches.

In a small bowl, combine sugar, melted butter, and cinnamon. Pour mixture over rolls. Pour soda on top

Bake for 45 minutes.

Very, very delicious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THE MOST WONDERFUL BROWNIES - EVER!

Many years ago when we first moved to Virginia - a very dear friend gave me this recipe and I've been using it since that time. My very favorite!

MARSHMALLOW BROWNIES
2 cups nuts (optional) chopped
2 sticks margarine or butter
7 tablespoons cocoa (dry stuff)
1-1/3 cup flour
2 teasp vanilla
2 cups sugar
4 eggs

Marshmellows (small ones)
Cream sugar and margarine together first then mix other ingredients and pour into greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees about 20 minutes - just before removing from oven, add marshmallows and let them melt until golden brown. Remove and immediately spread icing. (It is very, very runny and goes all along the side - wonderful good) (I usually let it cook on very low while the brownies are baking so I can immediately pour it all over the brownies.

ICING
2 cups confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
1 teasp vanilla
1/4 cup cocoa - (or 4 Tablespoons)
8 tablespoons canned milk (sm can 5 oz) (a little over 1/2 cup)

I bake them in a glass 9X13 pan for about 25 minutes as I usually do not add the marshmellows.

WONDERFUL QUICK MEXICAN CASSEROLE

Wonderful Quick Mexican Casserole

2 lbs ground meat (I like extra lean)

3/4 cup chopped onion (optional)

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp chili powder

salt and pepper to taste

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 can Rotel Tomatoes

1 can Ranch Style Beans (I used the beans with the onion and eliminated the chopped onion listed above)

1 lg bag of Doritos, crushed

1 cup grated Cheddar Cheese (I used the shredded Mexican cheese and used more than 1 cup - I just dumped)

*** I added a good hunk of Sour Cream - this is up to your taste, but I love this stuff and think it always adds something to the dish.

Brn meat, add garlic powder, chili powder, salt, pepper and onion. Add to meat mixture - soup, tomatoes and beans (and sour cream if using). Heat thoroughly.

Layer in a 9"X13" pan the crushed Doritos, meat mixture, cheese - another layer of each. I left the last layer of cheese off until almost the very end.

Cover with foil and place in a 400 degree oven for 35 minutes. I baked for the 30 minutes, then added a good amount of the cheese, left uncovered and baked until the whole casserole was bubbly.

White Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting

White Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting

6 squares Baker's Premium White Chocolate

1/4 Cup whipping cream or milk

1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 cup powdered sugar

Microwave white chocolate and whipping cream in medium bowl on hi for 1-1/2 minutes or until white chocolate is almost melted, stirring halfway through heating time. (It took 1 minute for me). Stir until white chocolate is completely melted. Cool until room temperature (about 30 minutes.) (It only took a very few minutes for this to cool)

Beat butter and sugar gradually into cooled mixture on high speed until light and fluffy. Makes enough to frost two 9-inch cake layers. Recipe can be doubled. (I baked the two layers and frosted each individually as I'm sharing a layer with some folks I love!)

Optional: ground pecans on top

I baked a Red Velvet Cake to frost with this yummy frosting