Recipe Bandit

I love cookbooks. Well, all books. But since I love food and books, cookbooks really are a little piece of paradise.

Stuff that goes in chili.

I’ve never been good at following rules, so I tend to “interpret” when I cook. I recently played around with the ingredients and spicing mix on a chili from Wed Fed by Melissa Jouwain of The Clothes Make the Girl. 

I thought I’d share what I came up with because it’s pretty darn tasty. It went over well at our superbowl party (where I actually made a double of this recipe).

I don't know the rules of being a recipe bandit, so I'm hope posting this doesn’t get me sued. Or upset the goddess that is Melissa.

Chipotle Chili with Bacon*

·         4 pieces thick cut bacon

·         4 onions

·         3 pounds ground beef

·         1 pound beef roast, cubes, whatever

·         2 cloves garlic

·         2-4 chipotle peppers in  sauce  

·         3T cumin

·         1 tsp allspice

·         2 tsp salt

·         2 cans tomato paste (12 ounces total)

·         2 cans petite diced tomatoes

·         1 box beef stock

Dice the bacon and throw it in the bottom of a stockpot at medium heat. Chop the onions while the bacon is cooking. Throw them in once the fat has been rendered and bacon is getting crispy. Leave on medium and let cook down (10 mins?). Then throw in the garlic and give the whole thing a good stir. 

Choose the amount of peppers you want. Two will make give your chili a nice hint of spice, four will make it hot! I typically use three. Chop them up and throw them into the pot. At this point, add the rest of the spices: cumin, allspice and salt.

Take your beef roast and cut it into small chunks. (I typically cut mine to the size of a black bean.) Throw all meat (roast and ground beef) in the pot. Mix everything together and then add tomato paste, broth and diced tomatoes. Mix again and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer for two hours.



This was yummy. Chili + Verde + Eggs



We just finished the last bit of the chili. The final bit was served as breakfast with salsa verde and eggs. It was really yummy. Thinking about it makes me wish I had more chili right now.

As a side note, you should buy WellFed immediately. Even if it’s just to read the stories and stare at photos. This is one cookbook I couldn't live without.

*Putting bacon in the title makes any recipe immediately more interesting. At least to me.