Hungry Hungry Poppy

Cast Iron Chili & Chips

Who doesn’t love chili? I don’t think I could trust someone who doesn’t like chili. Sorry, not sorry.

I ask this question at least once a week. Chili is one of my all time favorite foods. I could literally it eat every single day. Twice daily! I could even eat it for breakfast. I have! I would never ever turn down a cup of chili, ever! Every chili is different and that’s one of the best things about it – you can’t seem to go wrong.

So here’s my personal quick and simple chili for you all to enjoy over corn chips! I make chili about once a month. Everyone seems to love it and people ask for it all the time, especially my girlfriend, so, I must be doing something right.

The key to all my recipes and meals is the ingredients. Don’t skimp! I love McCormick’s Organic for the dry spices. I use organic fresh garlic that comes in the two pack boxes. I like to get local farm fresh ingredients if I can or I head to Whole Food’s – but if you can’t do either that’s okay.

For me personally though, the biggest thing you cannot skimp out on in any recipe is the meat (or seafood.) I mean, I prefer fresh farm local organic for everything if you can, but if not, at least the meat! Fresh, never frozen. Pay the extra few bucks to get a better brand name and not the local grocery stores name brand. For us here, we have Market Basket or Hannaford’s, so I try to avoid using their store brand name meats (e.g Market Basket Ground Beef or Market Basket Chicken Breast.)

For this exact recipe seen in the pictures, I did happen to use Ground Deer Meat a friend of my father’s passed along to me. He goes hunting every year and always gets his meat butchered locally and packaged up. He then gives my dad a ton of it. My mom doesn’t care for gamey meat, so my dad usually hooks me up. I usually get deer but he’s also given me moose a few times!

At least I know, if my girlfriend is ever mad at me, all I need to do is make my chili.

Enjoy! - Jarrod Brouillette

Ingredients

28-32 Ounce Muir Glenn Sauce
1 small yellow onion
4 Cloves of Garlic
1 Yellow Pepper
1 Orange Pepper
1 Jalapeno
1 Cup of Water
1 Can of Red Kidney Beans
1 Lb 85% or 90% Lean Ground Beef
Franks Red Hot Sauce
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil (California Olive Oil)
2.5 Tablespoons Chili Powder
2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
2 Teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
2 Teaspoons Coarse Black Pepper
2 Teaspoons Salt
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Italian Seasoning (McCormick's Organic)

Other Ingredients to Have on Hand:
Sour Cream
Mexican Shredded Cheese
Green Onions
Corn Chips (Fritos) 

Instructions

1. Add the olive oil to a large saucepan. Place on medium heat. Dice the small onion and place into saucepan. Cook for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally. (Note, I like to cook my onions for a bit longer than most to really cook them down. So a bit less than medium heat for longer works.
2. Dice the peppers into small fair pieces and add to saucepan. Cook for about 5 minutes and stir a few times.
3. Finely mince garlic and jalapeno, keeping the seeds as well. Add to saucepan. Give everything a stir. Cook for 3 minutes.
4. Add the ground beef. Break it all up into big crumbled pieces and keep stirring every few minutes as it cooks. This should take about 8-10 minutes to cook through.
5. Add spices! I like to place all of my spices on a small plate next to one another. It’s such a good feeling tossing all of the spices and colors into the food! Give it a stir.
6. Add the beans. Give it a light stir and let cook for about 3-5 minutes.
7. Add sauce and water and stir all together until completely mixed. 
8. Let simmer with lid on for about 10 minutes. I then add in the Frank’s Hot Sauce. I give the bottle 5-6 hearty pumps into the sauce! Mix together.
9. Lower the heat just a bit and let simmer for a good 30 minutes to 1 hour. 
10. Add corn chips to cast iron skillet, plate, or bowl. I like to use a cast iron skillet if it’s myself and 1 other person eating! It’s fun to get together and eat right out of the skillet!
11. Add chili to the top of the chips. Immediately add a handful of shredded cheese so it begins to melt on the chili. Add a spoonful of sour cream and a sprinkle of diced green onions! Add more of each ingredient if you like!