I Can't Be Cheatin' on my Chili, now ya'll...

It is a big freakin’ day.  Martha has blessed us with a lot and its time you give thanks.  Why?

Cause A) it’s fancy Thursday, and I KNOW you got up and shaved your legs today. I know you at least brushed your teeth right?  Good Martha, tell me you have at least changed your underwear!!!

B) 24 years ago, the world graced us with the most honest, sassy, gorgeous, intellehent, talented and FILHARIOUS human in the worldths, Kelley Brooke Carpenter Edelmann. My lifetime biff and lady soulmate, the one who tells me “not to wear them jeans” and that my hair looks gorgeous.  The one who knows how big a wine glass to pour, and the one who would drive 500 miles just to be the gal outside my door. 

Congrats on joining Club 24, enjoy your stay, and for the love of Martha, Kelley, mix yourself a raspberry vodka soda right now to celebrate!

You can’t make this shit up.  That is the face of LOVE right there people.

And C) I am sharing with you a lifetime secret.  I haven’t ever shared the secret to my mother’s chili because it’s in fact pretty easy, but it doesn’t TASTE pretty easy, and I am somewhat of a recipe secret hoarder.  That’s why I started this here blog, to stop hoarding pertinent information that you NEED to move on with your life.  You need to know the secret to this chili.  It will rock your fresh Thursday socks off.

Before we get to the secrets though, I have some apologies to make.  You see, other biff Sarah asked me QUITE some time ago to make a pumpkin chili for her and post it.  I was so excited! Yeas, I will make a pumpkin chili for you sister! Of course!  Except, that every time I started to think “ok time for pumpkin chili” I got all “UGHHHH I don’t WANT pumpkin chili, I want Cinbad’s chili!”  Like a damn toddler saying “NOOO MOM, I want WENDY’S NOT MCDONALD’S!” GOSH! (you don’t give a shit what they want, it’s been 4 days since you’ve showered, you have desitin smeared on your grey sweatpants and a pink scrunchie in your hair from your daughters polly pocket set, and you are one ‘no mom’ away from jumping out of your car) side note, my sister ACTUALLY told her daughter one day that she was going to jump out of the car, the reaction, was priceless.  Let’s just say, my niece did not enjoy that idea.  

Back to the point, I felt like I was cheating on my chili.  Chili season is here.  It’s here whether you are ready for it or not, are you going to start off your chili season with some new broad? You’re seriously going to betray YOUR chili like that? I just couldn’t do it.  I felt like I was choosing someone else's cat over my own.  (and that will happen when Asia freezes over.) So Sarah, I am so sorry, but I can’t be startin’ chili season off on the wrong foot. I need to be starting out the way I know is right, loving old pals first, and makin’ new pals next.  

Cinbad’s Chili

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 pound lean ground turkey

2 cans rotel tomatoes with chilies

2 cans of chili beans

1 McCormick Spice Pack of Original Chili

1 2 Liter of V-8 vegetable juice

1 box whole wheat pasta (I use shells, you use whatever)

So I can see that you look at this recipe and you scoff.  That’s fine, scoff at this semi-homemade chili. If you took a blindfold test you would never know and the secret is THE V-8.  That stuff, is the bomb.

So dice your onion, garlic and pepper and sautee it in the pan over medium high, then add the ground turkey.  You’re using super lean turkey here, so there isn’t going to be any fat to drain off, so you may as well let those veggies get the proper sweat time in.  once your turkey is cooked through, add the spice pack and mix well.  Then add the 2 cans of rotel and the 2 cans of chili beans. (if you aren’t a chili bean person, only add 1 can) 

Give that a good stir and about 5 minutes for the flavors to get on in there and get to know each other.  Then you’re going to add the V-8.  Fill this sucker up pretty high.  You are going to be cooking your pasta in the chili directly, so you want a good amount of liquid without overflowing the pot once you add the pasta.  Turn the heat down to medium low, add the pasta, and put on the lid.  Walk away and come back 20 minutes later, you are going to have the greatest chili EVER just there waiting on you.   This chili begs for cheddar, and cheddar scallion biscuits of course!

So seriously, don’t knock it til you try it, I know it’s not a particularly foodie recipe, but it is a darn good one.

Love,

Whit