It’s that time of year! Here in central Indiana, we’re having the coldest winter of any I remember here in quite a long time. In fact, it’s been warmer in Billings, Montana, my former home. Temps reached -16°F last night. No weather for man nor beast. But a perfect time to warm up with a steaming bowl of Mimi’s Favorite Chili.
(Uh, don’t be put off by the green stuff mixed in with the sour cream in the above picture. I served Mexican dinner on Christmas Day and my husband mixed the guacamole and sour cream together. It looks questionable, but was delicious!)
I’ve made this chili recipe for as long as I can remember, seriously forty years or more. Sometimes we eat as pictured. Sometimes I’d make up some macaroni and serve the chili over that. A friend of mine used to serve her chili over cooked rice – another option.
Funny. Richard and I were in Costco the day before I made the chili pot. A customer overheard us talking about making chili, and immediately invited himself over. Our conversation wandered to the topic of what to serve with chili. This fella said he insists that his chili is served with a peanut butter sandwich. “Well, of course!” I said. Our new friend and chili connoisseur told us he was having a difficult time winning over his wife to the idea.
In the mid-century olden days, the school cafeteria always served chili with peanut butter/honey sandwiches and carrot and celery sticks. We settled it must be an Indiana thing.
Any way you like it, a hot bowl of chili, mild or spicy, is a surefire way to warm up your bones!
Let’s make some!
First, brown your meat in a heavy 6-qt dutch oven or other heavy pot. Oh, and don’t forget to add a Tablespoon or so of cooking oil to the pot, bring up to medium-high heat, then add the meat. Even though there’s fat in the meat, the oil helps the process along. You may use ground beef or ground turkey, as long as it’s pretty lean. I normally use 90% lean ground beef, but don’t be afraid to use turkey. It’s delicious and we really can’t tell the difference once the chili is finished.
While the meat is browning, dice up a nice large yellow sweet onion, set aside. Mince 2-3 cloves of fresh garlic, set aside. Measure the chili powder, cumin, black pepper, cinnamon, and paprika into a small bowl, set aside. Open up your cans of tomatoes and beans. The goal is to have everything at the ready so the dish comes together quickly.
Chili 101
Now’s the time to have a discussion about heat – like hot peppery heat. Not everyone shares the same enthusiasm for peppery spicy food. I, myself, like the heat from peppers or Tobasco sauce or ground cayenne, but enjoy the flavors in moderation. I like the simple spike of heat, but not so hot that’s it’s uncomfortable to eat.
If you like the flavor of pepper but not the heat, add one diced green pepper, or throw in a stalk of diced celery, or both.
Need to add a little extra heat? Add 1-2 finely diced jalapenos or 1-2 finely diced serranos, which are hotter than jalapenos. Set them aside with the minced garlic.
What I do is add a finely diced jalapeno, a finely diced serrano, and add dry ground cayenne to the dry spices. A couple shakes of red pepper chili flakes goes in there, too. And a couple shakes of Tobasco sauce as the chili cooks.
You can always add more hot peppers to the mix if you like spicier chili or include the pepper membranes and seeds into the dice, which adds another level of heat. Remember, however, to add peppers to the browned meat when you dump in the diced onions. If you decide to ladle the chili into serving bowls over macaroni or rice, keep in mind that will lower the heat level, too.
If you’re serving children, look out. In my experience, they don’t tolerate peppery heat at all – enter macaroni or rice and lots of cheese.
Now the meat is nicely browned. Add the onion and peppers (hot or mild). Stir over medium-high heat until the onions begin to soften. Add diced celery, if you’re using.
Add the garlic. Continue to cook until you smell the aroma of garlic, about one minute.
Add the dry spices: chili powder, cumin, Mexican oregano, cayenne, crushed red chili peppers, and cinnamon. Stir all the spices together and heat until you can smell the spices, 1-2 minutes max. (Adding the spices this way intensifies their flavors.)
Dump everything else into the pot: diced tomatoes, whole tomatoes, dark red kidney beans. Add 2-3 cups of liquid: beef or chicken stock or just plain water if you don’t have stock in the pantry. Stir and bring to a simmer. Turn down the heat to continue the simmer. Cover with the lid not quite covering the pot so steam is able to escape.
After 45-60 minutes, your chili is ready! See how much liquid was evaporated?
Ladle generous portions into deep bowls and add your toppings: Monterey jack or cheddar cheese, sour cream, guacamole, additional finely diced hot peppers, finely diced sweet yellow onion.
On this particular night, I had some leftover tostada shells and we used them to break into our bowls instead of crackers.
Chili Thoughts
I think chili is one of the first dishes beginning cooks learn to make. It’s easy. The ingredients are inexpensive. Everyone enjoys a hearty bowl.
Serve with peanut butter sandwiches or cornbread.
Don’t be afraid to mix up the ingredients. You can add corn. Use canned pinto beans, light red kidney beans, or black beans.
Try a can of beer in place of some of the stock/water. If so, you’ll want to add the beer to meat/spice mixture before you add tomatoes, beans, etc. Let it cook a bit after adding to burn off some of the alcohol.
Cinnamon is uncommonly used in chili unless you’re in Cincinnati. Just 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon is all you’ll need. Cinnamon evens out the flavors.
If you need to thicken your chili, add a Tablespoon of cornmeal stirred into 1/4 cup of water. Add to the chili after the cooking is finished and stir to incorporate.
I would love to know how you make your chili special! What tips and tricks do you have up your sleeve?
It's that time of year when a steaming bowl of Mimi's Favorite Chili warms us to the very core. Learn Chili 101 and how to make my easy and satisfying recipe along with a couple of hints.
Author: Mimi
Recipe type: Chili
Cuisine: American
Serves: 6-8 servings
Ingredients
2 pounds lean ground beef or ground turkey
1-15oz can of dark red kidney beans drained, or pinto, light red, or black beans, drained
2-14oz cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes.
1-28oz can whole tomatoes
2-3 cups of beef or chicken stock, or water, or a combination
Over medium-high heat, add 1 Tablespoon cooking oil into a heavy 6-quart dutch oven
Add ground meat. Brown until there is no pink visible.
While the meat is cooking, chop onion, mince garlic, dice peppers. Set aside.
Measure dry spices into a small bowl. Set aside.
When the meat is ready, add chopped onion and hot peppers. (Add green or red pepper and celery if using.) Stir and continue to cook until the vegetables are softened.
Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, one minute.
Add dry spices, stir to distribute and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes max.
Add all the tomatoes, beans and stock &/or water. Stir to distribute.
Bring the chili to a simmer. Cover the pot, but not completely so steam escapes and thickens the chili.
Turn down the heat. Simmer for 45-60 minutes.
Check for seasoning. Add 1-2 shakes of Tobasco sauce, if using.
Serve with peanut butter sandwiches or cornbread.
This chili can also be served over cooked macaroni or cooked rice.
Notes
1. You can substitute one can of beer to replace an equal volume of stock/water. Add the beer to the meat mixture before adding tomatoes. Let the mixture cook for a bit to allow the alcohol to cook off. 2. To thicken chili, if needed, add 1 Tablespoon cornmeal to ¼ cup of water, mix. Add the slurry to the chili while stirring.
Serve with any variety of toppings: shredded Monterey Jack &/or cheddar cheese, sour cream, guacamole, diced sweet yellow onion, diced jalapeno or serrano peppers.
Uncover precious buried treasure. Dig down into a deep bowl filled with beef and rice stuffed green peppers smothered with a perfectly seasoned tomato-onion-basil gravy. Grab a couple slices of Italian bread slathered with butter to sop up all the gravy goodness. Heaven … really, Heaven in a bowl.
Beneath this lovely tomato gravy lay the most delicious stuffed peppers and porcupine meatballs. Dig deep. Ladle a pepper and a large spoonful of tomato gravy into your bowl.
Growing up, Mom’s Stuffed Green Peppers was a beloved family staple. At the end of summer, my dad would find gigantic green peppers at a Northwest Indiana farmers’ market that begged to be filled. He would bring them to my Greenfield, Indiana home, and there was only one application for the lovely peppers. These peppers were also served between Thanksgiving and Christmas in anticipation of family arrivals often at different times of the day or evening because they hold well.
Use whatever fresh peppers you wish. Green, red, orange, yellow or a combination of any. A variety lends itself to a festive presentation.
Or slice the peppers into thick slices, 2 inches or so, maybe using a colorful variety of fresh peppers. Stuff the resulting rounds with the beef/rice mixture. Saute the filled slices in a skillet and smother the finished delight with my savory tomato-onion-basil gravy. YUM!
Does it sound like I LOVE this recipe? Yes, I do. For me, Mom’s Stuffed Green Peppers is the quintessential comfort food. My brother especially loves them!
Shall we bring Mom’s bowl of deliciousness to your family? Absolutely!
Cut the peppers in half. Rinse and remove the stems, veins, and seeds. I usually put the peppers on a piece of paper towel, cut side down, to dry them out a bit before stuffing.
Tomato Gravy
Dice one large onion, roughly chop 1-2 roasted peppers (I use any jarred roasted red peppers.) and mince 2 cloves of garlic. Set aside.
Heat 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil in a heavy bottomed dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and quickly brown until the onions are translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the chopped jarred peppers and minced garlic. Heat until you can smell the garlic, 1-2 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons dried basil and one bay leaf. (I love the flavor basil gives to anything tomato. If you’d rather, you can use dried oregano, marjoram, or parsley.)
Add a 15oz. can of petite diced tomatoes and one can of condensed cream of tomato soup. Add one cup of water or broth and stir until combined. Bring to a gentle simmer and continue to cook for 10-15 minutes. Set the tomato gravy aside while you prepare the meat mixture and stuff the peppers.
Meat Stuffing Mixture
You can use lean ground beef or ground turkey. For every pound of ground meat, add one cup of cooked rice. (This is an excellent way to use up leftover rice from Chinese take-out.) I used two pounds of ground beef and two cups of cooked rice for this recipe.
Put the rice and ground meat in a large bowl. Add two teaspoons kosher salt, two teaspoons seasoning salt (I use Lawry’s.), and two teaspoons ground black pepper. Lightly beat 2 eggs in a small bowl. Pour the eggs over the meat, rice, and seasonings in the bowl. Mix well with your hands (the best utensil) or use a wooden spoon or sturdy rubber spatula until everything is evenly distributed throughout.
Take one pepper half and gently mound a handful of the meat mixture into the cavity making sure the stuffing fills the entire pepper. Place into the tomato gravy. Continue with the rest of the peppers.
You’re going to have some leftover meat mixture. I roll it up forming meatballs, “porcupines,” into the size of a tennis ball, maybe smaller and drop them into the gravy around the stuffed pepper ones. You know, there’s always someone you’re serving who doesn’t like green peppers. I’ll withhold comment; however, that someone should not be denied.
Basically, you’re going to steam the peppers in the gravy until the meat is cooked through. Over medium heat, bring the pot to a gentle simmer. Cover the dutch oven with a lid, lower the temperature and simmer for 30-45 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, and let everything rest for 10 minutes.
Spoon the peppers and porcupines to a large serving bowl. Pour the tomato gravy over them, and serve. Cut some big slices of Italian or French crusty bread for sopping up the tomato gravy. Fabulous!
Mom's Stuffed Green Peppers - Uncover Buried Treasure
Dig down into a deep bowl filled with beef and rice stuffed green peppers smothered with a perfectly seasoned tomato-onion-basil sauce. Grab a couple slices of Italian or French crusty bread slathered with butter to sop up all the gravy goodness. Heaven ... really, Heaven in a bowl.
Author: Mimi, At Mimi's Table
Recipe type: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Serves: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
2 green peppers, cut in half, stemmed, membranes and seeds removed
2 pounds lean ground beef or ground turkey
2 cups cooked white rice
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
2 teaspoons seasoned salt, Lawry's
1½ teaspoons ground black pepper
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1-2 jarred roasted peppers, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 bay leaf
1 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes
1 can condensed cream of tomato soup
1 cup water
Instructions
!Tomato Gravy
In a heavy bottom dutch oven, heat 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil. Add onion and saute for 3-4 minutes until translucent. Add chopped peppers and garlic. Heat until you smell the garlic, 1-2 minutes. Add basil and bay leaf. Stir.
Add diced tomatoes, tomato soup, water. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
!Meat Mixture
In a large mixing bowl, add rice, ground meat, salt, seasoned salt, and black pepper. Pour in beaten eggs. Using your hands, a wooden spoon, or a sturdy spatula, combine all ingredients until thoroughly combined and evenly distributed.
!Stuff the Peppers
Fill each pepper half with a handful of the meat mixture. The entire half should be filled and slightly mounded in the middle. Place stuffed pepper in tomato gravy. Continue with the rest of the peppers.
If you have meat mixture leftover, divide equally and roll into meatballs, "porcupines." Place each meatball among the stuffed peppers.
Bring to a gentle boil. Lower the heat. Cover with a lid, and cook for 30-45 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes.
!To Serve
Remove bay leaf. Spoon the stuffed peppers and porcupines into a large serving bowl. Pour the tomato gravy over everything. Scoop up a stuffed pepper or porcupine, spoon over tomato gravy from the bowl.
Notes
Mom's Stuffed Green Peppers are fabulous served with a loaf or two of crusty Italian or French bread.
It can’t get easier than this. Use leftover turkey or roasted chicken and transform it
into a creamy, steamy biscuit-topped casserole.
Wait – It gets easier! I cheated when I prepared this dish. I had some chicken breasts in the freezer and poached them. And then I used frozen peas & carrots, country-style diced frozen hash browns, frozen chopped onions, and a box of commercial biscuit mix for the luscious dumpling-like topping. This is not my normal style, but what the heck. I wasn’t looking forward to chopping a bunch of vegetables this particular day. It was an easy way out. It was so easy in fact that I’m sure I’ll utilize more frozen prepared vegetables in the future, for sure! And it tasted just as good as if I’d made it from scratch, even the biscuits.
I still like to make my own white sauce rather than canned cream soups. My husband and I need to watch our salt intake, and it’s one way I can control the amount I use in a recipe.
Here’s a Thanksgiving leftover tip! Substitute turkey to build these fabulous sandwiches! YUM!!
Star of the Show! Pickled Red Onions with Jalapeno
Pickling fresh vegetables seems to be all the rage these days. And there’s a good reason. Pickled veggies don’t take a lot of time. The ingredients are cheap and simple. A small sweet and tangy crunchy bite for almost anything. And you can make pickled veggies in small batches.
It only takes 10 minutes to put everything together. And if you make a large batch, Pati says these delicious pickled onions will last in your refrigerator for two weeks.
Tangy and sweet pickled red onions add a flavorful crunchy bite to any sandwich, taco, salads. Whatever your little heart desires!
Author: Patti Jinich
Cuisine: Mexican
Serves: 2 cups
Ingredients
¼ cup each grapefruit juice, orange juice, lime juice and white distilled vinegar
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon kosher
1 large red onion thinly sliced, about 2 cups
1 jalapeno charred
2 bay leaves
Instructions
Place the grapefruit juice, orange juice, lime juice and vinegar in a mixing bowl along with the black pepper, allspice, and salt. Mix well.
Add the red onions and bay leaves.
Char or broil the banana pepper in the broiler, on the grill, on a hot comal or dry skillet set over medium heat or directly on an open flame, for 3 to 6 minutes. Turn it once or twice, until its skin has lightly charred.
Add to the onions.
Toss well in a canning jar and let the ingredients pickle at room temperature from ½ hour to 2 hours
Put the jar in the refrigerator. Pickled Red Onions will keep in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.
3.5.3229
This Chicken Pibil Sandwich is one of my favorites from Pati’s Mexican Table. Spicy chicken topped with crunchy pickled red onions and slathered with avocado crema is a satisfying bite. It’s a quick sandwich to put together, too.
Let’s make a batch!
Chicken Pibil Sandwich with Pickled Onions and Avocado Crema
Nicely seasoned chicken or turkey topped with tangy, sweet pickled red onions and slathered with avocado crema. Quick, easy, and very yummy!
Author: Pati Jinich, Pati's Mexican Table
Recipe type: Sandwich
Cuisine: Mexican
Serves: 4-5 servings
Ingredients
½ pound ripe tomatoes
¼ red onion outer layer removed
3 cloves garlic unpeeled
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups low sodium chicken broth, divided
2 tablespoons canola oil
¼ cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
¼ cup white distilled vinegar
½ teaspoon dried oregano
⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons achiote paste chopped (the paste that comes in a bar, not a jar!)
6 cups cooked shredded chicken from homemade broth or rotisserie chicken (may substitute turkey)
Soft buns
Avocado Crema
Pickled Red Onions a la Yucateca
Instructions
Preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet or roasting pan with foil. Place the whole tomatoes, onion and unpeeled garlic cloves on the foil and set under the broiler, 3 to 4 inches from the heat. Broil for 4 to 5 minutes, until charred on one side. Flip over and broil for another 4 to 5 minutes, until the skin is blistered and completely charred. The tomatoes should be very soft with the juices beginning to run out. Remove from heat.
Once cool enough to handle, quarter the tomatoes and place in a blender jar along with any juices from the baking sheet. Peel the garlic cloves and add to the blender along with the onion, salt and 1 cup of the chicken broth. Puree until completely smooth.
Heat the oil over medium heat in a casserole or soup pot until hot but not smoking. Pour in the puree and cover partially, as the sauce will sizzle and jump. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and darkens considerably.
Meanwhile, combine the grapefruit juice, orange juice, lime juice, vinegar, oregano, cumin, allspice, pepper, chopped achiote paste, and the remaining cup of chicken broth in the blender and puree until completely smooth.
Stir the puree into the tomato sauce and bring back to a simmer. Simmer 5 minutes, then add the shredded chicken. Mix together well and continue to cook, uncovered, until the chicken has absorbed most of the sauce, about 5 minutes. The finished dish should be very moist but not wet or soupy.
To serve, scoop about 1 cup of the chicken pibil onto the bottom half of a bun. Top with avocado crema and a few pickled red onions.
Avocado Crema: 2 ripe avocados; ½ cup Mexican crema;1 minced clove garlic;1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice; ½ teaspoon kosher salt or to taste. Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.
During the hot days of summer, we are all looking for a flavorful, healthy and quick meal. I frequently turn to fresh seafood as an alternative to traditional grilled burgers and dogs or dinner salad.
A family favorite and crowd pleaser, you can’t go wrong with are Mimi’s Fast & Easy Shrimp Fajitas.
Oh, so simple! Oh, so quick! Oh, so DELICIOUS!!
I serve the fajitas, whether they’re shrimp, chicken or beef, with warm flour tortillas along sides of Mexican Rice or Refried Beans, and a simple green salad. As an added bonus, this dish is gluten-free, if you use gluten-free flour or corn tortillas. If you’re filled with ambition, you should make or learn to make homemade flour tortillas.Takes the “quick” out of it, but still. Some store-bought brands can be very good, like El Milagro. But like everything homemade, they’re just better tasting. I did make my own every week for many years to serve at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Awesome!
I think my Mexican-ex-mother-in-law would get a kick out the fact that I cook so much Mexican food – mainly inspired by her. My mom would make out-of-this-world tacos, but rarely ventured out of that comfort zone. When I married, I learned so much about Carmen’s Mexican cooking. She taught me a lot. She always made her own tortillas, and she was lickity-split! Amazing!
Let’s Cook!
I like to buy raw shrimp in the 20-25/pound range that have been shelled and deveined. It makes the process simple and quick. You can use frozen shrimp – it doesn’t take long to thaw. All you do is put the frozen shrimp in a bowl and fill it with cool tap water. In about 20 minutes, the shrimp are ready to use. I plan on 1/3 pound of shrimp per person. One pound will feed three gracious eaters or two voracious ones.
Sometimes even cleaned and shelled shrimp can leave behind bits and pieces of the black vein running down the middle. I always run the tip of a paring knife down along the track to make sure the black stuff is gone. According to seafood sources, you don’t have to. But why wouldn’t you? It looks awful. And it’s good to run your fingers through the water to check for any pieces of shells wandering aimlessly around.
Rinse the resultant shrimp well in cold water, drain well, and layer on a baking sheet lined with a double thickness of paper towels. Place a paper towel on top, and pat dry. It’s good to have the shrimp as dry as possible so they’ll sear well in a hot skillet.
Now, spray the tops lightly with cooking spray. Season lightly with salt and pepper. If you want to add some spice, it’s a good time to sprinkle with any or all of your favorite Mexican spices: ground cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper. Whatever you prefer. Set aside while you prep the vegetables.
For one pound of shrimp, I use one medium onion cut in half and then into strips. One red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into strips. One large jalapeno pepper, cored, seeded, and finely diced. And one clove of garlic, minced.
The next step goes quickly. Have a serving plate or serving bowl at the ready for the vegetables as they come off the heat.
Heat a griddle over or a large skillet to medium-high heat. A cast iron griddle or skillet would be ideal, but not imperative. I use a 12″ iron skillet when I’m cooking one pound of shrimp, and a larger griddle over two burners when I cook larger quantities.
Add two tablespoons of olive or neutral cooking oil to the skillet and spread it around to cover the bottom. Add the sliced onions, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, and cook quickly, stir-fry style, until the edges begin to brown and the onions begin to wilt. Quick cooking will help the onions keep their shape and stay crunchy.
Add the red peppers, jalapeno, and garlic to the skillet. Again, quickly stir-fry the vegetables until the peppers are heated through and the garlic becomes fragrant.
Put the cooked vegetables in your serving bowl or plate. (I use a flat oval 3-quart Pyrex dish.) Set aside and keep warm. Don’t cover with foil or plastic wrap, because the veggies should keep their bite. Covering them will steam them, and the vegetables will be mushy. Still delicious, but you know. I usually put them in an unheated oven or in the microwave.
In the same skillet over medium-high heat, layer the shrimp in a single layer, seasoned side down.
Cook for 2-3 minutes until the shrimp just begin to turn pink and a little carmelization is happening around the edges.
One-by-one, flip the shrimp to cook on the other side – 1-2 minutes max. The shrimp should be cooked through, but tender. Overcooking will make them tough. Sprinkle with the juice of half a lemon.
Spoon the shrimp over the cooked vegetables.
And there you have it!
Fresh, fragrant, juicy, steamy, delicious! And QUICK!
Here are some condiment
suggestions for the fajitas:
Now’s the time to have a discussion about heat – like hot peppery heat. Not everyone shares the same enthusiasm for peppery spicy food. I, myself, like the heat from peppers or Tobasco sauce or ground cayenne, but enjoy the flavors in moderation. I like the simple spike of heat, but not so hot that’s it’s uncomfortable to eat.
What I do is add a finely diced jalapeno, a finely diced serrano, and add dry ground cayenne to the dry spices. A couple shakes of red pepper chili flakes goes in there, too. And a couple shakes of Tobasco sauce as the chili cooks.
Chili Thoughts
I would love to know how you make your chili special! What tips and tricks do you have up your sleeve?
Avocado Crema: 2 ripe avocados; ½ cup Mexican crema;1 minced clove garlic;1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice; ½ teaspoon kosher salt or to taste. Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.
