Recipes in Rotation is a series that allows me to highlight recipes that have made their way into “the book.” This book is the binder that contains recipes we make on a regular basis — at least monthly and in some cases, every two weeks. I keep them in this special binder for quick and easy access without sorting through a bunch of other recipes to speed things up when I need to get dinner on the table.
Today’s recipe is a Douglas’ Secret Christmas Chili
I have written about my Christmas Chili in the past, but no collection of my “Recipes in Rotation” would be complete without it. Not only do I make a huge batch of this at Christmas, but I also make it regularly during the year. There is almost alway a pint or two in the freezer for those occasions when you just NEED a little chili in your life. In fact, I decided to feature my chili today because I was sitting around last night thinking “Dang, I would really like some chili about now!” (LAUGH)
You can get the whole story about how I came to make this for Christmas every year in the recipe listing on Bakespace.com. The picture shows a Christmas-sized batch, but this recipe makes a more typical 4-5 quart batch.
(See this recipe on Bakespace.com)
- 2 Tbls Olive Oil
- 1 Large onion
- 4-5 cloves garlic
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 – 12oz package Jimmy Dean Pork Sausage
- 1/2 cup red/white wine
- 5-6 14oz cans of your favorite plain tomato sauce or homemade, of course
- 4-5 cans of black beans
- Splash of vinegar
- 5-6 Tbls Chili powder (not mexican chili powder, but the traditional one with cumin, etc included)
- 2 Tbls Dried Basil
- 3 Tbls Oregano
- PInch Red pepper flakes
- Small pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp Black pepper
- Finely chop onions and garlic (I use a food processor) then saute until lightly browned in the olive oil
- Add turkey and sausage and brown until no sign of pink
- Add red/white wine
- Cook until wine is absorbed
- (Here is where it goes a bit by look and feel. Add more sauce and beans if you want to make more chili and then adjust the spices accordingly)
- Add tomato sauce
- Add black beans
- Spoon up the meat, sauce and beans mixture and look at the ratio between the 3.
- You want to get a good mixture of all three in each spoonful.
- If needed, add more black beans
- Add splash of vinegar (under a tsp, probably. I have used everything from apple cider to balsamic, It just adds a little “tang” to the final taste.
- Add Spices
- Bring pot up to boil and then turn down to low simmer
- Typically, it will cook down by about 1/3. The longer you simmer it, the better it tastes. It also tastes better the second day when you reheat it. (SMILE)
Previously in Recipes in Rotation:
- No Fuss Focaccia Bread
- Turkey curry with potatoes and sweet potatoes
- Potato Soup with Add-ins
- Taco meat seasoning for ground turkey
- Mild Taco Sauce in the style of Taco Bell
- Gnocchi Au Gratin Orleans from Emeril Lagassé
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