Hearty Chili Recipes to Anchor Super Bowl Supper

By Eileen Goltz
Special to The Standard

Old Fashioned Chili

It’s Super Bowl time again. Woo Hoo! Yippee! And an OMG for good measure. Time to try and figure out what I’m going to serve to all the people who’ll be descending on our basement TV room, many of whom are less than enthusiastic that their team (oh so many of them) didn’t make it again this year. In New York that can mean a lot of disaffected Jets fans grinding their teeth, so best to give them something hearty to chew on.

I’m traveling a lot this year so my regular recipes that take time to make aren’t going to cut it. I decided that a big pot of chili with all the fixings and a bunch of store bought snackie stuff (chips, pretzels and the other usual suspects) will round out the menu nicely.

However, that decision being made I have the difficult task of deciding whether this will be a bean or no bean kind of chili menu. That brings us to the age old question of what exactly is the definition of chili. If you ask Wikipedia they say the name is modified from the phrase “chili con carne” which translates to “peppers with meat.” For all intents and purposes chili is a stew made with some combination of peppers, meat, tomatoes, a variety of spices and beans if you want them.

This hotly (pun intended) debated dish probably evolved from the cuisine of the early Spanish settlers.  It was the perfect dish for using the less expensive tough cuts of meat that were available to those settling in or traveling through the old west. Chili enthusiasts take their love of the dish to extreme heights with recipe contests, cook-off’s and  grudge match cooking meets of the beans no beans winner take all variety (all of what I’m not quite sure but they do take this seriously)

The exact perfect recipe is still being debated by cooks from Texas to New York and beyond. You will find my modest contributions to the lists of recipes below. Since there are beaucoup recipes available I suggest you try them all just remember, the hotter they are the quicker you’ll run out of antacids and the more beer your guests will consume to douse the fire.

Tip: Use as lean a cut of meat as you can. You may also want to drain the fat from the cooked meat before you add the remaining ingredients. Greasy chili can really sneak up on you if you catch my meaning!!!

Tip: Several recipes call for beer; if you don’t drink you can use apple juice instead.

VEGETARIAN CHILI (pareve)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

3 stalks chopped celery

1 red bell pepper, diced

4 tablespoons chopped garlic

 2 19 oz. cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 19 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 envelope taco seasoning or 1/4 cup taco seasoning

1 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 15oz can tomato sauce

3 cups vegetable broth

1 6oz can tomato paste

Heat oil in saucepan.  Cook the onions and garlic until they are soft and translucent.  Add beans, celery, red bell pepper, taco seasoning, basil, oregano, and thyme.  Mix to combine.  Add the tomato sauce, vegetable broth and tomato paste.  Mix to combine and cook covered for at least 1 1/2 hours. Stir every 15 minutes to prevent sticking.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serves 8.

TERRIFIC CROCK POT TURKEY CHILI (meat)

2 pounds ground turkey

1 cup chopped onion

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

 1 cup green peppers, diced

1 cup chicken broth

2 teaspoon dried cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cooked and mashed potatoes

2 15 to 16oz cans of kidney beans (not drained)

In a large skillet, brown ground turkey and drain.  Add all ingredients to crock pot except the can of refried beans.  Cover and cook on low 2 hours.  Add the mashed potatoes  to chili for thickening.  Cover and cook on low for an additional 2 hours.

CHOCOLATE CHIPOTLE CHILI (Meat)

2 1/2 lb. lean ground beef

1 lb. chopped kosher spicy sausage (it’s out there)

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 cup finely chopped onion

8 oz. tomato sauce

8 oz. chipotle sauce (with tomato base)

1 cup water

1 bottle lite beer (12 oz.)

3 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons instant beef bouillon

2 tablespoons cumin, ground

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons oregano leaves

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon coriander, ground

1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon cornmeal

1 teaspoon flour

1 teaspoon warm water

In a large stock pot brown the meat (the beef and sausage and drain off the fat. Return the meat to the pan and add the garlic and onion; cook and stirring constantly until the onion is translucent. Add the tomato sauces, water, beer, chili powder, bouillon, cumin, paprika, oregano, sugar, coriander and cocoa. Mix well. Bring the chili to a boil then reduce heat and simmer Cover and cook for 2 hours. In a small bowl, stir together the cornmeal and flour, then add the warm water and mix well. Stir into chili and cook, covered, for about 20 more minutes.

You can serve with pareve sour cream and pareve cheese

Modified from slacker.blogspot.com (yes, it’s a real blog, I checked it out) this link was sent to me by reader Perry Nicson of NY who loves it

GOOD OLD FASHIONED CHILI (Meat)

3 lb. lean ground beef

2 med. onions, chopped, divided

2 fresh tomatoes, chopped

2 cans tomato sauce, 1 lb. ea.

1 can tomato puree

1 teaspoon honey

2 teaspoon mustard

1/2 cup catsup

1 12 oz. can beer

2 cans red kidney beans, drained

2 packs chili seasoning

2 teaspoon chili powder

Pepper to taste

In a large soup pot cook ground beef. Drain and add 1 chopped onion, 1 pack of chili seasoning and 1/2 can tomato sauce. Mix well and cook for 20 minutes. Add the remaining onion, chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato puree, honey, mustard, catsup, beer, beans, chili seasoning, chili powder and pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the temperature to a simmer.

Cover and cook 45 minutes to an hour stirring occasionally. Serves 10 to 12.

Submitted by Randy Karpton, Tucson AZ

BRISKET CHILI (Meat)

1 lb. kosher breakfast beef, diced

2 red onions, diced

5 lbs lean brisket, trimmed, cubed

 1/3 cup chili powder

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 heaping tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon oregano

 1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon pepper

1/4 cup green chili peppers, chopped

3 12 oz bottles of beer

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon coriander

 1 6 oz. can tomato paste

 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped

In a large pot cook the breakfast beef, onion and garlic. Drain when cooked. Add the remaining ingredients and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover. Stir every 20 minutes or so for the next 2 hours. Check to make sure the meat is tender. If not, keep cooking. You can add more beer if the chili is too thick.

Submitted by Irene Louis Chicago IL