I seem to be on a roll right now, so I'll keep going while I have the momentum.
Beginning of the month is a good time to take stock of the freezer and prep food for later in the month. I found out around Christmas this year that chili starter is a good, and easy, thing to have on hand.
Why make chili starter? It's not that hard to make chili on the day you want to eat it.
True, but have you ever noticed that Chili tastes better on the second day? I still don't know why it works that way, but it does. The flavor of chili often improves by being refrigerated or frozen then reheated. Also, while chili can be made reasonably quickly, in an hour or so, it's really much better if it's allowed to simmer for a long time. Making chili starter means that you get the good flavor of chili that has both been simmered a long time and has been refrigerated and reheated, without spending the time on the day you're going to eat it.
Ok, so how do I make this, and what makes it different than just making chili?
Well, basically you are making chili, but with slightly different proportions than you normally would. Honestly, the first time I made this was a mistake, where I put in the wrong proportion of meat to beans, but it turned out so well that I'm now repeating the practice.
Ingredients:
3 lbs ground beef (leaner is better) or "chili meat", browned
3 cans of beans, 14 oz each - kidney, great northern, black, or pinto (or any combination)
3 cans, 14 oz each stewed tomato
3 cans, 4 oz each tomato paste
optional: canned green chilis or jalepenos
To taste: Garlic, onion, Chili Powder, Cumin, Salt, Pepper, Oregano, paprika, etc.
Mix everything together in a crockpot or large stockpot. Add the liquid from the beans to the pot as well, unless you're using Black Beans. If you're using Black Beans, then drain and rinse them or they'll give a bad color to your chili. Simmer for several hours, stirring occasionally. Cool, then separate into containers and freeze until you're ready to use them.
I rarely measure my spices, but I can guess at an approximate amount that I use in the batches. I usually add between one and two tablespoons each of dried minced garlic and onion, two to three tablespoons chili powder, one tablespoon of cumin, a few hearty shakes of garlic pepper, and a sprinkling - probably about a half tablespoon each, of oregano and sage. If I think I need my chili a little sweeter, I'll add some Basil, too.
Instead of relying solely on my spice cupboard for flavors, I also try to use flavored stewed tomatoes. I try to get one of the varieties with a some jalepenos or green chilis, as they add a little flavor without too much spice. (While my husband likes chili that will burn the roof off your mouth, my kids and I don't.)
When you want to use it, thaw your chili starter and put in in a saucepan or stockpot on the stove. Add to it a can or two of beans, based on the flavor and thickness you want for your chili. You can also add chopped onion and peppers, corn, fresh or canned chilis, and additional spices to your chili. A great advantage to the chili starter is the fact that you can customize each chili batch as you reheat it. Changing the things you add can give an almost endless variety to a winter staple.
You can also add leftovers to your chili -meatloaf, steak, roast, etc. Add more beans to balance it if you need to, or tomato.
Serve with cornbread, or make haystacks/frito pie (Fritos, shredded iceberg lettuce, cheese, sour cream), put over hotdogs or baked potatoes. Especially good on cold autumn or winter nights.
Beginning of the month is a good time to take stock of the freezer and prep food for later in the month. I found out around Christmas this year that chili starter is a good, and easy, thing to have on hand.
Why make chili starter? It's not that hard to make chili on the day you want to eat it.
True, but have you ever noticed that Chili tastes better on the second day? I still don't know why it works that way, but it does. The flavor of chili often improves by being refrigerated or frozen then reheated. Also, while chili can be made reasonably quickly, in an hour or so, it's really much better if it's allowed to simmer for a long time. Making chili starter means that you get the good flavor of chili that has both been simmered a long time and has been refrigerated and reheated, without spending the time on the day you're going to eat it.
Ok, so how do I make this, and what makes it different than just making chili?
Well, basically you are making chili, but with slightly different proportions than you normally would. Honestly, the first time I made this was a mistake, where I put in the wrong proportion of meat to beans, but it turned out so well that I'm now repeating the practice.
Ingredients:
3 lbs ground beef (leaner is better) or "chili meat", browned
3 cans of beans, 14 oz each - kidney, great northern, black, or pinto (or any combination)
3 cans, 14 oz each stewed tomato
3 cans, 4 oz each tomato paste
optional: canned green chilis or jalepenos
To taste: Garlic, onion, Chili Powder, Cumin, Salt, Pepper, Oregano, paprika, etc.
Mix everything together in a crockpot or large stockpot. Add the liquid from the beans to the pot as well, unless you're using Black Beans. If you're using Black Beans, then drain and rinse them or they'll give a bad color to your chili. Simmer for several hours, stirring occasionally. Cool, then separate into containers and freeze until you're ready to use them.
I rarely measure my spices, but I can guess at an approximate amount that I use in the batches. I usually add between one and two tablespoons each of dried minced garlic and onion, two to three tablespoons chili powder, one tablespoon of cumin, a few hearty shakes of garlic pepper, and a sprinkling - probably about a half tablespoon each, of oregano and sage. If I think I need my chili a little sweeter, I'll add some Basil, too.
Instead of relying solely on my spice cupboard for flavors, I also try to use flavored stewed tomatoes. I try to get one of the varieties with a some jalepenos or green chilis, as they add a little flavor without too much spice. (While my husband likes chili that will burn the roof off your mouth, my kids and I don't.)
When you want to use it, thaw your chili starter and put in in a saucepan or stockpot on the stove. Add to it a can or two of beans, based on the flavor and thickness you want for your chili. You can also add chopped onion and peppers, corn, fresh or canned chilis, and additional spices to your chili. A great advantage to the chili starter is the fact that you can customize each chili batch as you reheat it. Changing the things you add can give an almost endless variety to a winter staple.
You can also add leftovers to your chili -meatloaf, steak, roast, etc. Add more beans to balance it if you need to, or tomato.
Serve with cornbread, or make haystacks/frito pie (Fritos, shredded iceberg lettuce, cheese, sour cream), put over hotdogs or baked potatoes. Especially good on cold autumn or winter nights.
No comments:
Post a Comment