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02/26/2011 National Chili Day Firehouse Chili

Source of Recipe

Andrew Scgultz


Recipe Introduction

Many people love chili for its spicy aroma and delicious taste. It is also the perfect way to warm up on a "chili" February day! There are many legends and stories associated with the origin of chili. But the only thing that can be certain is that it did not originate in Mexico. Chili recipes are virtually unknown in Mexico today except in high tourist areas. An old Southwestern Native American legend claims that during the 17th century, a beautiful nun nicknamed "the lady in blue" came up with the recipe for chili during a trance. Another story claims that Spanish priests during the 19th century called the first chili mix "the soup of the Devil." This was because of the aphrodisiac characteristics associated with chili peppers. No one knows for sure which legends are true and where chili truly originated, but this tasty dish certainly has gained immense popularity since it was first created. To celebrate National Chili Day, make some delicious homemade chili for you and your family to enjoy! My Punch Bowl

List of Ingredients

HOME COOKIN’ 02/26/2011 National Chili Day Firehouse Chili


Firehouse Chili


1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. beef stew chunks, cut small (bite-size) (we used thin cut steaks for brazing)
1 can red kidney beans
1 can chili beans
1 large can stewed or cooked tomatoes (we used 2 small cans)
1 can condensed tomato soup
1 green pepper, diced
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (hot)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 packet hot chili seasoning




Recipe

Brown the steaks, no need for seasoning. Since we used the thin cut steaks, we got away with doing them for a couple minutes on each side in a frying pan. Set aside for a few minutes. Brown ground beef, add entirety of hot chili seasoning packet. This may look very thick. If this is the case, add a couple tablespoons of water. You won’t need much more than that to even it out. While beef is browning, cut steaks into strips (going along grain) and then cross cut into small pieces. Set all meat aside.
Drain liquid out of both cans of beans and tomatoes. Dump into crock pot. Add can of condensed soup. Dice up your green pepper and set aside. At this point, you’ll want to add your spices into the crock pot. We don’t really like measuring things exactly, so we estimated to an extent, but fairly accurately. That’s what makes cooking fun!

Give the beans, tomatoes, and spices a stir, then add your meat and stir again. If your chili looks really thick, add some water. We filled the condensed soup can and added that, but felt it was a bit too much. Add the green pepper at this point, but only a little at a time, stirring in between. Green pepper is a strong flavor, and adding too much can throw off the chaotic balance. We used a large green pepper, and only about half of it went in.

Throw your crock pot on, and let it sit! We made a cornbread to accompany the dish, which turned out fantastic. We used a Penguin brand bagged corn bread, just add oil, milk, and egg. Not bad for pre-packaged!