Winning Chili Recipe

At long last, I hereby present to you the recipe that led to the winning chili at the first-ever (and let's hope there's more) Chili Cookoff! (For all the contestants, click here).

This recipe is, obviously, from the winner, #4. Otherwise known as Suzanne. I took no part in the creation of this goodness; I'm just the middle-woman sharing this delicious turkey recipe to all of you!

THE RECIPE
2 lbs ground turkey
3 banana peppers thinly sliced
1 large yellow bell pepper diced
1 small egg plant cubed
1 yellow onion diced
1/2 can (or more) chick peas
Couple chipotle peppers in adobo
1 block of pepper jack cheese shredded
2 small cans tomato paste
1 can chicken broth
1 can Rotel
Red pepper flakes
Taco packets per amount of meat

Brown all vegetables seperately from one another and set aside. All should be cooked in a little olive oil, and salt, except for the eggplant. Saute the egg plant in some of the adobo sauce that your chipotle pepper comes in. (Be careful, that stuff is hot!) Again, set the eggplant to the side.

Cook the turkey and season with a little salt while cooking. Then fully season the meat with a generous amount of the red pepper flakes if you want it really hot, and the taco packets. After you have mixed the seasoning in, throw in the two cans of tomato paste, and about 2/3rds of the chicken broth. Mash it around so that the turkey really gets seasoned. Bring to simmer and let it go for a while. Water and the rest of the chicken broth may need to be added during the simmering process.

After it has simmered to the point of really looking like chili, add all vegetables, including the half can of chickpeas, and semi drained can of Rotel. Mix well. Bring to a simmer again and add a bit of water again if needed to the pan. Cover.

After a few minutes of simmering, mix the chili and take off the heat. Then add in the pepper jack cheese. Be sure to mix well so that it fully incorporates and does not burn at the bottom of your pan. After it appears well mixed once again, add at least one adobo pepper chopped up, and a generous amount of red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer again, and cover until ready to serve (or take to your next chili cook off).

Enjoy!

Superbowl Sunday + Superb Chili

This past Superbowl Sunday, my friends and I hauled out our crockpots, pressure cookers, and casserole dishes to throw together some meat, beans, and lots of other goodies. All in all, four chilis were created.

This wasn't the typical food fight. Rather, it was a friendly competition. We all sampled the chilis, talked about what we liked about all of them--because, in all honestly, all of them were good even if they were completely different--and picked our favorite. Some people used beef, some used turkey, others used a variety of meats, including lamb and pork.

So, which of the four won top pick--along with the prize of an awesomely huge jar of pinto beans? Keep reading, and drooling, to find out.

Chili #1
This chili went into a pressure cooker after the meat was seared. And boy was there a lot of meat, including lamb, pork shoulder, and beef, as well as some beans. A variety of spices heated up the dish. While the dangers of a pressure cooker include drying out the meat, searing the meat first helped prevent that from occurring. All in all, this was a chili that packed a fiery punch.

Chili #2
Made from a family recipe--and cooked in an old-school crockpot--this chili was packed with ground beef, a ton of spicy spices (including many secret ones the cook will not divulge), kidney beans, chili beans, and tomato sauce.

Chili #3
This chili, too, was made based on a recipe given to the chili cook by a friend well-versed in cooking good meals. This chili contender added more spice than the original recipe called for, and made a chili chock full of beef and tomatoes, along with a can of beer and other seasonings.

Chili #4
Unlike the others, this chili was made in a casserole dish and was all about the turkey. There wasn't much sauce, but that was compensated by an abundance of vegetables like banana peppers, yellow bell pepper, onion, chick peas, and egg plant. Rather than use a plethora of tomatoes or sauce, this contender went with just using tomato paste, hence why it looks thicker than the others.


The best part about chili is that they all taste extraordinarily different. No two chilis were alike in this food fight, making voting all a matter of preference. But, with 8 voters, including the 4 chefs, there was an overwhelming response for one chili in particular: #4.

Here's the winner, Suzanne. She's holding the awesome prize (as if it was a football) that will help get her started on her next batch of awesome goodness. (With Maggie 'crying' in the background after losing the Chili Cookoff 2010).

The recipe for the winning chili will be posted soon. Until then, what do you like in your chili? Do you prefer to make your own? Or, do you have a restaurant you like to go to when you need a hot chili to warm you up in the cold Chicago Winter?