easy, homemade man chili
by annaliseree Leave a Comment
I kind of hate to admit this, but there are just some things that my husband does better than me in the kitchen.
And I have to say it, chili is definitely a win for him!
Maybe it’s because he has just eaten a lot more chili in his life, but I can never quite seem to keep mine from being too… different.
I can’t leave well enough alone, and in many cases that’s ok, but for a good, classic man-chili, simple is better!
Andrew made a huge pot of this last week and wefinished it off in a matter of days.
And last night, we (and by we, I mean my pregnant chili-craving self) decided he should make another big pot!
You could definitely cut this recipe in half if you don’t want a large amount, but this is a great dish to feed your freezer with for future meals… so why not get out the big pot and have another meal waiting for you?
Oh, and the spice measurements? Totally subjective. We like things spicy around here, so we use quite a bit. If you’re making this for the first time, or you’re just not sure, start small and you can always add more later!
easy, homemade man chili
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 8 cups (or 4-15oz cans or 2-28oz cans) tomato sauce
- 8 cups (or 4-15oz cans) beans (we like 2 kidney, 1 pinto and 1 black or garbanzo!)
- 1/4 cup chili seasoning (your favorite brand, or homemade)
- salt & pepper, to taste
- chipotle or cayenne pepper, to taste
- chopped fresh or canned jalapeño peppers, to taste
Directions
In a large dutch oven or stockpot, brown the beef: breaking it apart into large chunks and cooking until there is no more pink. (You don't want to break up the meat into tiny bits, thick chunks the size of your thumb or a bit larger at the smallest!) As the meat cooks and browns, season it with salt & pepper and about half of the chili seasoning blend. Here's the trick for the onions: Add them a little bit at a time, starting with when you brown the meat, and saving a little bit for the very end, so that there are different textures of onions all throughout the chili. Some bits will be very soft and sweet and others will have a little more bite to them! (If your meat is on the fattier side, drain off some of the excess fat before continuing.) Once the meat is cooked through, stir in the rest of the ingredients. Bring everything to a boil and then cover and simmer on low as long as you'd like! (Chili only tastes better the longer it simmers, so this is a perfect meal to make a day or two before and reheat in the slow cooker!) Serve hot with shredded cheese, sour cream and corn chips if you're like me... or eat it plain if you're a purist like my husband! :o)
http://sweetannas.com/2012/06/easy-homemade-man-chili.html
www.sweetannas.com
slow cooker beef bites with gravy
by annaliseree Leave a Comment
Well, we’re back from the doctor and Bjørn is officially getting better!! His pneumonia is healing and hopefully with another week of his antibiotics he will be back to his normal peppy little almost 3 year old self!
YAY!!!
To celebrate this wonderful news, I slaved away all afternoon on this flavor-packed, hearty comfort-food.
Just kidding. I’m still exhausted. All I did was throw a bunch of stuff in the slow cooker in the morning and this wonderful meal was waiting for me at dinnertime!
I would have slaved away, really I would.
You know, if I had gotten any sleep at all in the last 2 weeks, or if I didn’t have kids that needed my attention, or if I didn’t have a million other things that needed to get done…
Like catching up on my blogging and my reading. Important stuff, you know! ;o)
So, anyways… since I know you love easy meals as much as I do, and this one turned out so great, I wanted to share it with you!!
Enjoy!
And thanks again for all your patience with me lately. I will be getting back to normal (whatever that is?!) soon, I promise!
Slow Cooker Beef Bites with Gravy Recipe
Ingredients:
2 pounds beef stew meat
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
12oz, or so, fresh mushrooms, cut in half
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
(or usehomemade ‘cream of’ beef soup* like I did!)
1 cup beef stock
a few dashes worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon browning seasoning(optional for color)
salt & pepper, to taste
Directions:
*To use the homemade ‘cream of’ soup, substitute beef stock for the chicken stock in this recipe. If you’ve never made your own condensed ‘cream of’ soup, you’ll be amazed at how quick and easy it is! No need to buy those cans anymore!!
Place all the ingredients into the slow cooker, stir well to coat and cook on low for 8-12 hours.
Serve over mashed potatoes… with a side of steamed corn, if you’re feeding my husband!
by annaliseree Leave a Comment
This version of chicken & rice soup is laced with a tangy hint of lemon and oregano… 2 flavors that pack a punch of brightness and freshness to an otherwise simple soup.
This soup is comfort food at it’s finest!
Chicken soup in any form has been one of the only things I can (fairly) easily eat so far this pregnancy. I have no appetite for anything else, and have to force food down most of the time.
But chicken soup? I love it! Chicken Noodle Soup, this Chicken & Rice soup, even Perpetual Chicken Stock, are all things I can eat and enjoy.
So enjoy them I do!
I especially like that the brown rice adds another healthy element to this soup,but feel free to swap it out with white rice if you’d like, or even use half brown and half white if you’re not so sure!
Also, if you don’t like the idea of your rice being quite mushy (unavoidable cooking that long in a slow cooker, but doesn’t bother us one bit!)… feel free to add it in for the last few hours instead of the whole cooking time!
Oh and if you have any leftover parmesan rinds in your freezer (and please tell me you keep those! They are gold!!)… throw one in! It makes a great soup, amazing!
As with all soups, this just tastes better and better the longer it sits… so start it in the morning, have some for dinner and reheat it all in the slow cooker again for leftovers the next day! Delicious!
Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken & Brown Rice Soup Recipe
Ingredients:
1 large onion, diced
2 large carrots, chopped
2 large celery stalks, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups leftover cooked chicken (or raw boneless breast or thighs!)
1 cup uncooked brown rice
8 cups chicken stock
salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
juice of two large lemons*
1 parmesan rind, optional
Directions:
Dump everything into the slow cooker. Add more water to top it off, if you’d like.
*If you’re not sure how much lemon flavor you would enjoy, start with the juice of one lemon and then add more at the end if you think it needs it!
Turn on LOW and cook for 6 hours or longer, until the chicken is cooked through (if you used raw). Season with more salt, pepper & lemon juice, if needed, and shred or chop the chicken if you used a whole breast!
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