It’s a chilly October day.
Leaves are changing from green to yellowish-orange; soon they’ll be red and falling.
Farmers are in the fields harvesting; fields have turned from verdant populous green to wispy brown stray sticks and stalks.
The interior decor and scents change from Summer at the lake to Fall in the country.
Weekends are football, football and more football: Friday high school, Saturday college, Sunday NFL.
Wines are trending red, in place of the light Summer whites; cider and hearty beers replace light.
I love this time of year!
Today, simmering on the stove… Homemade turkey chili, but not just any turkey chili. Hearty, flavorful, low-maintenance – much like myself.
What makes this chili so great? It’s easy. It’s got a kick. It’s quick. It’s adaptable. Isn’t that enough?
Skillet Cornbread
Buy a cornbread mix; mix it up. Heat the oven to 400° with a cast iron skillet inside. While it heats, brown the meat, begin cutting the peppers and onions. When the oven is ready, remove the very hot skillet, pour the batter in the skillet, put it back in the oven, bake for around 18 minutes (until golden brown).
Chili
1 lb ground meat, browned & drained
1 chili spice packet
1 green pepper
1 medium, sweet onion
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 cans kidney or chili beans, drained
Garlic
Liquid
Mix it all together, bring to a boil, reduce heat & simmer for 30 minutes or more.
Ingredients make all the difference. A little change produces different flavors. Go with your mood.
For the cornbread mix, I often use a Betty Crocker pouch or a Martha White mix.
If you feel like a little more spice in your chili use a hot spice packet, or 1 or 2 pre-flavored cans of chili beans (hot).
If you’d like a garlic kick, add fresh minced or chopped garlic, or use 1 or 2 cans of diced tomatoes with garlic already in.
For the liquid, use what you have. Today I found a bottle of Shiner Bock Holiday Cheer in the bottom of the fridge, left over from last year. I’ve used light beer, and I’ve used Guinness. The alcohol will cook out, leaving the flavor behind. Still don’t want to use alcohol or just don’t have any? Water, tomato juice or V8 will work. I’ve also used Bloody Mary mix.
Schlepping Life 