Classic Chili

Well, I have to admit something. I have been slacking in the posting department because...well....I can't seem to remember to take a photo before we eat all of whatever it is I've made. (The photo I used is courtesy of Better Home & Gardens, where the recipe came from in the first place.)

I make this chili every few weeks and every time it seems to vanish before I blink! So it must be good, right? It is! I wanted a "normal" chili recipe that didn't call for ingredients like cinnamon or beer, and this one is primo! The recipe below is doubled (except for the beans). Trust me. Just go ahead and double it.


Classic Chili

2 lbs. ground beef (for the best flavor I use 1 lb. 93/7 and 1 lb. 80/20)
1 large or 2 small green peppers, chopped (1 cup)
1 cup chopped yellow onion
8 cloves of garlic, minced
2 15-oz. cans tomato sauce
2 14.5-oz. cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 15-0z. can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
4-6 tsp. Leslie's Chili Mix or chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried basil, crushed
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Optional toppings: corn chips, shredded cheese, onion, sour cream

1) In a large pot cook the beef, onion, green pepper, and garlic until meat is done. Drain.
2) Add all other ingredients and simmer at least 1 1/2 hours for best flavor. Serve with cornbread, if desired, and any toppings.

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Ground Beef Grand Style

Back when our grandmothers and great-grandmothers were young wives and mothers, they cooked for their families every day, restaurants were a rarely-indulged-in luxury, and cooks didn't have to specify that they made something "from scratch," because how else would you make it anyway? Back in those days, women helped their own hamburger; they didn't go to the store to buy something in a box to do it for them. I'm not knocking Hamburger Helper--after all, don't we all rely on shortcuts from time to time? But the next time you think about reaching for that box, instead try this recipe my grandmother passed down to my mother who then passed it down to me.

What You Need

1 can refrigerator biscuits (or make your own; but at this stage of my life, refrigerator biscuits is one of those shortcuts I'm glad to take!)

1 lb. ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese

1 can (10 and 1/2 oz.) cream of mushroom soup

1/4 c. milk

1/4 c. ketchup (I use a little more)

1/3 c. sliced green olives (I love olives, so I usually use more than this)

1 tsp. salt (I usually omit this because the olives add enough salt)

What You Do

Brown ground beef; drain, if necessary. Add onions, and cook a few minutes. Add all other ingredients (except biscuits), and continue cooking until heated through and mixed well. Meanwhile, bake biscuits; and when done, place them on top of casserole. Makes 5-6 servings.

A nice accompaniment to this dish is Ceci's Cucumber and Tomato Salad; that, along with some fresh cantaloupe, is what I served with this casserole tonight for our supper.

Happy helping! (Your hamburger, that is...)

The best way to serve meals is with a smile.

~ from Country Home Cooking

by Marjorie Rohrer

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Greek Chicken Pitas

Easy-breezy. Delicious. Slow cooker. Fabulous leftovers. What more do I need to say?

What you need:
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips (I put the chicken breasts in whole and cut them after they were done.)
1 tsp. lemon-pepper seasoning
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 sour cream
1/2 c. cucumber, peeled and diced
Pita bread, halved and split

What to do:
Place onion and garlic in a slow cooker. Sprinkle chicken with seasonings; place in slow cooker. Cover and cook on high setting for six hours (took about five hours in my super-toasty Crock Pot). Stir together yogurt, sour cream, and cucumber in a small bowl; chill. Fill pita halves with chicken and drizzle with yogurt sauce.

We added black olives and feta cheese too -- yum!

Recipe from Gooseberry Patch's Slow-Cooker Recipes.

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Mom's Sloppy Joes

Ok...so this isn't the most glamorous or creative recipe. But, it is delicious!

I've been in a bit of a cooking funk lately. I'm feeling rather uninspired, despite all the delicious recipes here on The Foodie Spot and in the bazillion cookbooks that I own. So, it was time to revisit a classic.

Actually, I think I'm using up all my creative cooking energy making baby food for my little girl. She's eating like a queen -- purees like carrot-cauliflower-tomato-basil and chicken with sweet potatoes and apples. For lunch the other day she had whole wheat pasta with steamed broccoli, a pad of butter, and parmesan cheese. That same day I'm pretty sure I had a bowl of Cheerios!

Anyhow, here's a great recipe for sloppy joes. They're quick, easy, and as mentioned, delicious!

What you need:

1 pound ground meat (I usually use 90% lean)
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup catsup
1 tbsp. vinegar
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. mustard

What you do:

Brown the meat with the onion. Add seasonings if you like. (Every once and awhile I go crazy and sprinkle some cajun seasoning in there, but usually I don't add any seasonings...even though I'm a hard core recipe follower!)

Mix other ingredients together and add to browned meat. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Serve on rolls (whole wheat is best!) with a side of sweet potato fries. Yum!

Recipe from my very cute mom.

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Casserole Queen's Pot Pie

Lisa found this on the Food Network website after watching "Throw Down with Bobby Flay and shared it with me.  We LOVE this recipe and make this if we are ever in the mood for pot pie.  It isn't your normal pot pie, but this recipe will change your mind as to how you really want your pot pie to taste.  Overall this is a very easy recipe to assemble and cook.  Although it may look like a lot of ingredients and too much work, it really isn't.  Which is a plus for those busy moms trying to have a great dinner and not spending all afternoon slaving away in the kitchen.

2 sheet of frozen Puff Pastry (they come in a pack of two)-this is for the pie crust
2 Tbsp Butter
1 Roasted chicken, shredded
2 Tbsp Flour
3/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Dried Tarragon, crushed
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
2 c. Milk
1 c. Heavy Cream
1/3 c. Dry White Wine
1 1/2 c. Peas, blanched
1 1/2 c. Carrots, blanched
2 Potatoes, peeled/diced/boiled
1 egg plus 1 Tbsp Milk for egg wash, to brush on top of the pot pie

Melt the butter and add all rest of the ingredients together.  I simmer for about 10-15 minutes.  After the mixture is done, set that aside.  Take your puff pastry and lay them out.  I found it helpful to let them warm to room temperature a little bit.  That way I could roll out them out easier.  I roll out both sheets from the box.  Then I put one on the bottom and make a nice pie crust.  Then I place the other one on the top and seal the top & bottom together.  Cut a ventilation hole in the top before putting in to bake.  Bake at 425 for 30-45 minutes.  Enjoy!

My alterations:  I recently did not have a roasted chicken, so I used boneless, skinless chicken breast and shredded that.  I know Lisa says that the wine makes it, but I have yet to remember to get wine at the grocery store and have not added this to my recipe.  I can say that it is heavenly without it.  :-)  If you have mixed veggies, then put those in.  It is the flavor of all the spices that make this pot pie to die for.  Another note:  I found that 425 burned my pot pie.  So I cut the temperature back to 350 and that worked better.  I am still playing with the temperature/time and hoping to get it just right.

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Orecchiette with Broccoli, Sausage, and Roasted Peppers

It seems like it should be super easy to just make something new and blog about it. Right? Not always. Inspiration can be lost on current events or something like the lack of necessary ingredients.

I thought I was out of fresh recipes to share — and then I found this! I didn't want to raid the "probably not" folder — the rejected recipes that didn't taste good or that didn't photograph well. I went straight to my trusted cookbook and had happy people around the dinner table.

This recipe definitely won't go into the rejected recipe file.



What You'll Need


table salt

1 pound orecchiette

4 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casing removed
9 medium cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press or minced (3 tablespoons)

1 cup roasted red peppers (8 ounces), cut into ½-inch squares

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

2 pounds broccoli, florets cut into bite-sized 1-inch pieces, stalks peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into ¼-inch thick pieces

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese (2 ounces)



What to Do

1. Bring 4 quarts water to rolling boil, covered, in stockpot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta, stir to separate, and cook until al dente. Drain and return to stockpot.

2. While pasta is cooking, cook sausage in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it into small pieces with spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, roasted peppers, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

3. Increase heat to high; add broccoli and 1/2 cup water, then cover and cook until broccoli begins to turn bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring frequently, until water has evaporated and broccoli is tender, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Add broccoli mixture, oil, and cheese to pasta in stockpot; toss to combine. Serve immediately.

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