Chili Cookoff: Elisabeth
LISA GRENTZ, MS, RDN, CD/LDN, FAND
One of the foundational concepts at GIE for diversifying your child’s diet is to offer your child the family foods, even if they aren’t preferred or favorite foods. Repeated exposure builds repertoire over time, and this message is commonly discussed during our GIE Q&A Facebook events. Parent coach, Elisabeth, has proclaimed many times that she makes the “world’s best” chili and even though her children are less of a fan, the warm bowl of hearty chili is routinely offered.
Now that the weather has turned cool, we got to thinking about how fun it would be to do a chili cookoff. This month we will provide you with 3 different chili recipes, all deemed the best of the best by our staff, and let you decide the winner.
First up, Elisabeth shares the inspiration behind her chili recipe and how she has chosen to honor her former teacher by continuing this tradition with her own students.
I loved school – and still do! And the main reason I loved school was because I had the best teachers, one of whom was known for inviting her full class over for dinner at the end of every semester. She would make giant pots of homemade chili and huge chocolate chip cookies, would cover her house in tiny red bows so that all of her cats (she had 7, I think!) could play all day long. We would feast and laugh and thank the heavens that the most challenging writing class we ever took was finally over.
When I finished my graduate program and started teaching, I adopted her tradition and began to make giant pots of chili with huge trays of brownies (had to make it my own!), and would spend the end of every semester enjoying the full house of laughing students, combined with what I now believe is the world’s best chili. Now, in fairness, it took years for my oldest daughter to even try chili, and to this day, my littlest has yet to sample it (opting for portion after portion of butter-smeared cornbread instead). But someday, my youngest will opt in – and the chili will change her life!
The Chili that My Kids Will Grow to Love
Serves: 6-8
2-pounds ground meat (beef or turkey is my preference)
2 Tbsp. olive or vegetable oil
3-4 celery stalks, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 yellow or orange bell peppers, chopped
2 Tbsp. minced garlic (adjust to taste/preference)
4-ounce can diced green chiles or chopped jalapenos
2 (14-ounce) cans (unrinsed) diced tomatoes
2 (15-ounce) cans (unrinsed) chili beans
1 (15-ounce) can rinsed kidney beans
1 (15-ounce) can rinsed black beans
2 packets mild chili seasoning (or not mild, depending on your preference)
Salt, pepper, chili powder, and garlic salt to taste
Instructions
Heat skillet over medium heat. Add ground meat to the pan and cook until it is brown and cooked through, breaking it up with a spoon or spatula, stirring to crumble. Once all of the meat has browned, drain any grease from the pan, and set the pan aside.
Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add oil to the pan and swirl to coat. Add the chopped celery, onion, and bell peppers, and sauté for 5 minutes or until the veggies are soft. Add garlic; sauté for another 1-2 minutes.
Rinse all beans, except for the chili beans. Add the browned meat, canned chiles or jalapenos, canned tomatoes, and beans into the pot of sauteed veggies. Stir in the seasoning packets. Season with salt, pepper, chili powder, and garlic salt to taste.
Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for a few hours (or until you’re ready to eat), stirring periodically.
Serve alongside cornbread (with butter and honey!). Possible mix-ins: sour cream, shredded cheese, jalapenos, chopped tomatoes, hot sauce, etc., or on top of baked potatoes or a hot dog!