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I have been promising my Chili recipe forever. The trouble with that promise was the fact that I never seemed to take the time to jot down the ingredients as I made it. I don’t think I told you guys but I was recently hired to teach a Teen Cooking Class at a local teen center. I’ve successfully completed ONE round (about 8 weeks, maybe?)  and I am hooked!! :D The kids are inspiring, they hang on to my every word and they call me “Chef Z”. <–that rocks! Anyway, along with the candy apples in the previous post, they asked if we could do Chili. Well, maybe they didn’t, I don’t know…I really don’t listen to them. lol So when my family asked me to make it this week (maybe they didn’t, I don’t know), it couldn’t have come at a better time. :) It’s so funny how everyone asks for exactly what I want. Weird, right?

I have two secret ingredients – Green Mountain salsa and Muir Glen Fire Roasted Whole Tomatoes…shhhhh. Don’t tell anyone. (Notes listed below as well)

Ingredients:

1 med. white onion, chopped

1 med. green bell pepper, chopped

1 8-oz container sliced portabella mushrooms

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 lbs. ground turkey (or ground meat of choice: ground beef, sirloin etc)

1 28-oz can “Muir Glen” Whole Fire Roasted Tomatoes

2 cans tomato paste

3 16-oz cans “Bush” Chili Beans (Medium Heat)

2 16- oz can “Bush” Light Red Kidney Beans

1 jar “Green Mountain” Salsa (Medium Heat)

2 Tbsp. Crystal Hot Sauce (mainly for the vinegar, not the spice)

1 Tbsp. Smoked Paprika

1 Tbsp. Ground Cumin

2 Tbsp. Dried Oregano

1 Tbsp. Dried Basil

Salt

Pepper

Directions:

Heat a skillet on medium for about 5 minutes. Add 2 Tbsp of Olive Oil and continue to heat for another minute. Add  onions, peppers and mushrooms to pan. Season veggies with salt and pepper. Sauté for 7-8 minutes, add garlic and continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes or until the veggies become tender and begin to “sweat”. Put veggies in Dutch oven.

Using the same skillet, add 2 tbsp of olive oil followed by your ground meat. Season meat with 1 ½ tsp. of salt and 1 ½ tsp. black pepper. Cook until scrambled and no longer pink. Drain in colander.

Turn pot to medium. Add the remaining ingredients stirring between additions. (Be sure to use a wooden (or even plastic) spoon and not a metal one). Once all ingredients have been incorporated, cook on medium for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low until ready to serve.

Serve over white rice. I like to add a dollop of sour cream and a few sprinkles of sharp cheddar. We usually use Ritz crackers as well but you can definitely use Saltines, cornbread, etc.

Let me know how this comes out! It’s sooo flavorful and there is no need to look fwd to that “next day” like we do with sauce based dishes. Although, it DOES get even better!!! Perfect for the cols nights we have coming!!!

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Cook’s Notes: The porcelain enameled Dutch oven is ideal for cooking this type of dish because the porcelain coating is non-reactive when acidic ingredients like tomatoes are used. If you do have a problem with acidity (meaning the tomatoes seem overly acidic), sprinkle a little sugar in the pot and that should counter it.

Secret Ingredients: My first secret ingredient is the addition of Fire Roasted Tomatoes. These tomatoes will add another level of taste because of their smoky flavor. The other secret ingredient is the Salsa. If you were to think about it, it makes perfect sense. It is composed of tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers with the addition of herbs and spices. Very similar to diced tomatoes but the added veggies, seasoning and liquid content makes it a better selection to me. I use the Green Mountain because it doesn’t have any gunk in it. It’s clean, organic and made without sugar. The veggie taste isn’t hidden at all.

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