Tailgating Grub: Part 3 of the Soup Trilogy

 Chili is the ultimate crowd pleaser in the cold months.  I always think of it as the perfect compliment to football watching.  When I’m feeding a party with chili I like to go all out and set up a toppings bar with fresh guacamole, sour cream, corn chips, cilantro, diced tomatoes and onions, and cheese.  When I’m only feeding my family, we’re not as festive but no less enthusiastic about chowing down, like we were this week watching Monday Night Football (slash Boardwalk Empire).  Either way, I like to make an enormous pan of cornbread as the primary side dish.  This recipe is literally so good that we’ve been eating it around the clock since it came out of the oven…you’ve been warned.

High Life Turkey Chili

1 lb ground turkey

1 lb turkey sausage

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup onion, diced

½ cup red pepper, diced

½ cup green pepper, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp chili powder

½ tsp cumin

1 large can crushed tomatoes

1 can diced fire roasted tomatoes

2 cans spicy kidney beans

½ can tomato paste

1-2 chipotles, minced

1 can of beer (any lager in the fridge will do)

salt, pepper, and honey to taste

In a large pot, brown the ground turkey on medium high heat and remove from the pot.  Brown sausage (deglaze pot with beer if sausage sticks) and remove from the pot.  Add oil to pot (if no fat rendered from meat), then add onion, red pepper, green pepper, and salt and pepper.  Once vegetables are translucent, add garlic, chili powder, and cumin.  Deglaze pot with a liberal splash of beer.  Return meat to pot and add the remaining ingredients (including the rest of the beer).   Add honey to balance the spicy flavors.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about an hour until the chili thickens and all of the vegetables are very soft.

Too Good Cornbread

2 boxes Jiffy Cornbread Mix

2 eggs

½ cup milk

1 can white cream style corn

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 fresh jalapeno, diced

Add all ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir until just combined (do not over stir).  Pour into a greased 9” round cake pan or 9”x13” rectangular pan (I recommend lining the bottom of the pan with parchment paper also).  Bake at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes until the top is very brown and a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before removing from pan.