A Plethora of Friday Firemen (Cadets)

I may have bit off more than I can chew. I decided it was high time I met all of these firemen (cadets, technically speaking) my husband is hanging out with every day at the Academy-and their wives.

Possessed by insanity, I said to Biceps, “Sure, invite all 30 guys (and wives and kids) over to our house on Friday. I’ll cook up some spicy chili.”

Sounds easy enough, right? And then I realized these men are MEN and won’t be eating one measly little “serving” of chili.

 

They’ll probably want two or three servings, if not more-and let’s not forget the wives. All in all, I’ll need enough for maybe 60+ servings. And then I began to make my grocery list.

Photo Source-Amazon.com
I’ve decided in order to offset the cost of aforementioned grocery bill, I will be shooting a firefighter’s calendar that same evening, unbeknownst to my guest.

I will be taking orders*.

*you better know that I am kidding.

Easy and Hearty Chili-(Vegetarian or Meaty)

Mmmm….chili.
The perfect meal for any tummy on a cold winter’s day. I make a large batch and freeze a bunch for later use-or to share with others. Food is always better when shared.

And, the longer you let the flavors hang out and get to know one another, the better the chili is.

Here’s what you’ll need:

2 lbs ground turkey/beef (leave out if you’re going the vegetarian way)
2 Roma Tomatoes
2 White Onions
4 Cloves Garlic or 1 tsp garlic spice
1 Green Pepper
1 jalapeno or more if you like it spicy
2 Cups black beans, drained
(1)14.5 oz can chili-ready tomatoes, undrained
(1)15 oz can tomato sauce, undrained
(1)7 oz can green chilis, undrained
2 Tbs chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp basil
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Cast Iron Skillet
Large Crock-Pot

Seed tomatoes, slice and place in a small saucepan with 3 TBS of water.

Stew over medium heat until soft and mushy. Set aside and let cool.

Seed and chop up the green pepper and the jalapeno. Slice up your onions.

Cook turkey/beef in your iron skillet and drain the fat. Return the meat to the pan and turn the heat to low. (If you are making the vegetarian version, skip this step.)

Mince your garlic cloves, adding it to the cooked meat (if you are making the vegetarian chili, mince the garlic into a large saucepan. Proceed to the next step).

Add the onions, green peppers and jalapeno to the meat. Cook on low heat until the tender, usually 3-5 minutes. While this is cooking, we’ll focus on our crock-potting next. Yes, ‘crock-potting’ is a word. Don’t try looking it up, though…

Turn the heat to low on the crockpot and add the “wet” ingredients:

Stewed Tomatoes
2 Cups black beans, drained
(1)14.5 oz can chili-ready tomatoes, undrained
(1)15 oz can tomato sauce, undrained
(1)7 oz can green chilis, undrained

Stir the ingredients together.

Next, add the spices to the crockpot:

2 Tbs chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp basil
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Lastly, add the meat, onions, jalapeno and the green pepper. Stir thoroughly once more.

Add a little cheese on top and voila-yummy in your tummy.
I serve my chili typically with cornbread and raw veggies on the side. It’s so dang good, you may not want to share….

Put the ol lid on top, turn the heat to low and let simmer for 2-3 hours.