When the weather gets cold – or should I say “cold” because we’re in Texas – my favorite dish is chili. It’s a comfort food of sorts, at least for me. My grandma and my mom make the very best. And I’m trying to learn how they do it. When I was home from college in the good old days, my mom would make up a big pot of it and freeze it in containers for me to take back to the dorm. Since I only had a mini-fridge in my room and wasn’t able to keep it frozen, I ate it at least three times a day.
Still to this day, it is one of my all-time favorite chilly day remedies that I don’t think I will ever get tired of. The Viper Pilot and I love to make it together and each year, tweek it closer to perfection. It may not win a chili cook-off, but we think it is pretty darn good.
Alex & Emily’s (Awesome) Chili
created by our nuggets with the assistance of Emily’s mom and grandma
- 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 (10-3/4 oz) can tomato soup
- 1 (15 oz) can Hormel chili with beans (vegetarian)
- 1 (10 oz) can tomatoes, do not drain (we use Ro-tel Diced Tomatoes with habaneros, HOT!)
- 1 (16 oz) can chili beans, do not drain (we use Mrs. Grimes spicy hot)
- 1 (15.5 oz) can black beans, drained
- 1 lb hamburger or ground turkey
- 1 package hot chili seasoning
- chili powder to taste
- dash of garlic powder
- ~1 tsp sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- hot chilies or jalapenos (if you don’t have fresh, use a 7 oz can of either or both)
- saltine crackers
- shredded Mexican style cheese
…that is, if you have any.
Bridget says
Em! Im so excited to find this 🙂
Josh and I are celebrating our christmas Friday and are going to make chili. This is thee perfect recipe. Im going to try it and let you know how it goes 🙂