When the number on the thermometer is smaller than your pants size, you know it’s cold. We need bowls of warm chili to counteract all that is unpleasant outside. So send us your recipes! We’re looking for three kinds:
- Traditional meat (Texas, Cincinnati or your famous Riverwoods Red Chili)
- Chicken or white (sometimes called California style)
- Vegetarian (which can be any style, but no meat)
We’ll publish your recipe IF you do the following:
- Make it your own: Don’t cut and paste from Epicurious or someone’s chili blog. This has to be your chili recipe.
- Send it to us in a typical recipe format. See our What’s for Dinner section for examples.
- Bonus points for stories behind the recipe.
- Bigger bonus points for photos.
What’s in it for you?
- A fabulous Make It Better mug just for submitting your recipe.
- Bragging rights when your recipe appears online in our What’s for Dinner section with your name in it.
- The chance to win a dining gift certificate if your recipe is chosen as a winner.
Questions?
E-mail our Food & Wine editor, Laura Hine at laura@makeitbetter.net.
User Submissions:
From staffer Liz Logan:
White Bean Chili
This somewhat spicy white chili is super-simple: It mostly involves throwing ingredients into one pot. If you have little kids and are worried about spiciness, cook the entire recipe without the chilis (or with very few), ladle out a few servings, then add the chilis to the pot and cook for another five minutes.
Serve with grated white cheddar cheese, low-fat sour cream and a side of cornbread (whipped up from a mix, with eggs and vegetable oil, right?). Some may want to add hot sauce.
Serves 4
Shopping list:
3 cans Great Northern Beans
1 can Low-sodium chicken broth
2 lbs. Poached Chicken Breast Cubes (4 cups) (Buy them pre-cooked or poach them yourself)
1 Tbsp. Garlic, minced
2 medium Onions, chopped (2 cups)
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
2-3 Green chilis, chopped (4 oz.)
1 Poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
2 Tsp. Ground cumin
2 Tsp. Dried oregano
1/4 Tsp. Ground cloves
1/4 Tsp. Cayenne
2 bags Grated white cheddar cheese
1 container Low-fat sour cream
Directions:
* Combine the drained beans and chicken broth in a stockpot.
* Saute the garlic and onions in the olive oil until the onions are translucent.
* Add chilis and seasonings and mix.
* Add the mixture to the stockpot with the beans and broth.
* Add the chicken and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.
* Add salt and pepper to taste.
From Carolyn Kibbe:
Easy Chili
1 pound ground chuck or hamburger
1 15 ounce can black beans
1 15 ounce can chili beans (red beans with chili spice)
1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
1 8 ounce can tomato paste
1 10 ounce can Ro-tel tomatoes and green chiles (optional if you want to spice it up)
1/4 cup dark chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1. Brown ground beef, drain off grease.
2. Open all yer cans! Do not drain the beans.
3. In a large pot, add the two cans of beans, tomatoes, and tomato paste. Refill the tomato paste can with water and add to pot. Add your browned beef, and stir well. Add chili powder and cumin.
4. Heat until bubbly, or until a thermometer registers 165 Degrees F for at least 15 seconds.
For a tasty cornbread that goes well with chili, prepare a box of cornbread according to directions. Add to it: 1/2 cup shredded cheddar and one can of drained diced green chiles. Cook on top of your stove in a well greased iron skillet, or in your oven according to package directions.
