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.

BRUNSWICK STEW

Brunswick Stew - Family Size Recipe - will freeze well.

Family Size Recipe

2 1/2 to 3 pounds chicken (I had a bag of frozen chicken breast, thawed and cut into tiny pieces and put olive oil in pot and put chicken in cooking until almost done)

2 pieces celery

1 small onion

2 quarts tomatoes, fresh or canned

1 cup chopped onion

3 medium white potatoes, peeled but still whole (I cut my potatoes in small size)

1 quart green butter beans (drain if canned)

1 quart whole kernel corn (drain if canned) (I also added a can of Mexican Corn)

5 tablespoons of sugar

salt to taste

Red and Black pepper to taste

Place chicken, celery and onion in a large kettle. Add about a quart of water. Simmer until meat is tender or begins to loosen from bones. Lift chicken from broth. Cool the broth and discard the celery. Remove meat from bones and cut into small pieces.

Add tomatoes, chopped onions and whole potatoes to broth. Continue cooking over medium heat. Remove potatoes when tender, mash and return to stew. (Some cooks omit this step and dice the potatoes before adding them to the stew. It has been noted, however, that the stew freezes better when the potatoes have been mashed; otherwise, they’re soggy.)

Add cut-up chicken, butter beans, corn and sugar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil while stirring. Cover, lower heat and simmer slowly, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, for 3 to 5 hours, or until tomatoes have cooked to pieces.

Makes about six quarts. This could all be put into a crock pot and cooked all day.

MY TEXAS-CHILI

MY TEXAS-CHILI

2 lb. ground beef
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
3 cups water
2 cups Pace Picante sauce
Sweet onion - chopped
A blob of Chocolate Syrup
A spoon of Instant coffee
1 sm can tomato paste
1 can Coke
2 cans Ranch Style Beans (your choice, I use one can of the onion type and one can of the japaleno type.)

1. In saucepan over medium-high heat, cook beef, chili powder, cumin, salt and garlic powder until beef is browned, stirring to separate meat. Add Chocolate syrup and instant coffee.

2. Add *flour and stir - cooking 1 min, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in the rest of the ingredients and cook until it suits your taste.

*If you are afraid of lumps from the flour - mix it with a little of the coke and then pour in.

TACO SOUP

TACO SOUP FROM MY FRIEND MARY

Serves - Bunch

DO NOT DRAIN VEGETABLES!

1 to 1-½ pounds ground round - Brown
Sweet onion - chopped
1 pkg Taco Seasoning
1 Pkg dry Original Ranch Dressing
1 can Mexican Corn
2 cans chopped tomatoes
1 can Ranch Style Beans with jalapeños
1 can Ranch Style Beans
1 can Rotel Chilies

You can brown meat and then dump all ingredients into the crockpot. or you can cook on top of stove.

We eat with Fritos - DELICIOUS!

THE BEST POTATO-SAUSAGE SOUP

EASY POTATO-SAUSAGE SOUP

1/2 pound ground pork sausage
16 ounces frozen hash brown potatoes (4 cups)
1 lg sweet onion, chopped
1 (14 1/2 oz) can chicken broth
2 cups water
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of celery soup, undiluted
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
2 cups milk (I use Half and Half)

Brown sausage in large dutch oven over medium heat, stirring until it crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain; return to dutch oven.

Add potatoes and next 3 ingredients to sausage; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Stir in soups and milk; cook, stirring often, until thoroughly heated. Garnish with shredded Cheddar cheese if desired.

Yield: 2 1/2 quarts.

MY FAVORITE CREAM OF POTATO SOUP

CREAM OF POTATO SOUP

4 slices bacon, diced
1 cup ORE-IDA fresh frozen Chopped Onions
(I chop up a sweet onion)
1 1/2 cups hot water
3 1/2 cups frozen ORE-IDA Southern Style Hash Browns
2 cups milk (I use half & half)
1/8 teaspoon pepper

In large skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon until crisp; remove from skillet and drain on paper towels. Spoon off excess fat, reserving two tablespoons. Cook onions in reserved drippings until golden and tender. Add water, frozen Hash Browns and salt; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to separate potatoes. Reduce heat, cover, simmer 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Lightly mash potatoes if desired. Stir in milk, pepper and bacon; heat, but do not boil. Serve topped with minced parsley, if desired.

Yield: 5 servings