I love chili but haven’t made it in months, even with all this rain! The two chili recipes I use the most don’t use beans - I have a butternut squash and ground turkey version that’s a big hit and an easy weeknight dish, and a Cuisinart turkey and onion chili recipe that’s a labor of love (but freezes well).
I LOVE chili! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe and funny enough I just sent Amie my vegetarian chili recipe in the mail. HA! I love beans and no meat. A big scoop of guac on top is delicious. :)
Chili (with meat or vegetarian) + pumpkin cornbread is one of my favorite make-ahead (and freezable) dinners! No 2 pots of chili are ever the same - I vary the types of beans (always RG!), the type of chili powder, the vegetables, the meat (or not). But it’s always delicious! I love to serve chili with avocado and hot sauce, plus a big slice of pumpkin cornbread alongside. My daughter always requests sautéed green beans as a side dish to chili, she just likes the flavor/texture combo. I think I’ll make a big pot of chili this weekend while it’s still winter-y weather (although I eat chili all year long)!
Thanks, Jessica! I agree completely—no two pots of chili are ever the same. Also, chili IS good any time of year. Pumpkin cornbread sounds really good too. I’ll have to give it a try! Also something that sounds timeless!
Oh that’s so nice to hear, Linda! I think you’ll really enjoy those beans. They inspire me to try new things and learn more too. Please let me know if you try them—and what you make.🌹
Thanks, Sally! I’d love to know more about your husband’s recipe(s). Chili is a perfect vehicle for experimentation—a wonderful blank canvas, with endless possibilities for variation, which makes it a fun dish to make!
Thanks for including the link to your blog – I just signed up! 😀
I can smell and almost taste your chili. My husband is our chili maker, and he loves to experiment and usually makes two cast iron Dutch ovens at the same time with varying ingredients. He also inscribes my mom's recipe as a base. Thank you for sharing!
I continue to be amazed at the endless varieties of chili AND that we seemingly share a culinary brain, Ruth. My next issue of Cook & Tell features my mom’s chili recipe 😆we should collaborate on a future issue!
PS: my chili preferences will be apparent next week
Oh, wow, Amie! Clearly we do share some culinary DNA! I can’t wait to read your next Cook & Tell—I’m definitely on a chili kick and making more this week. A collaboration would be fun. So many possibilities!❤️
This is all so wonderful! I love that you cook with memory and care, Ruth. Beans are so comforting and nourishing. Will have to explore Rancho Gordo beans! I make vegetarian chili and I use Gardein crumbles instead of animal protein. I also like green chilies. I’m not vegetarian but my family is so there you go. Can’t wait to make some chili tomorrow! Thanks, Ruth!
Thanks so much for your kind comments, Amy! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed in RG beans. We’re not vegetarians either but are trying to be more responsible and healthy eaters without sacrificing taste. I haven’t tried Gardein crumbles, but I’ve used other meat substitutes. I haven’t always been happy, but I think I might give it another try and see how it turns out. Thanks for the inspiration—and good luck with yours!🤗
You are very welcome, Ruth! The alternative proteins have come a long way. The crumbles add protein and I like Gardein the best. You might miss the fat of animal protein. Not sure what you enjoy. I use garlic, salt, pepper, chili powder, green chile, onion, turmeric, and tomato paste. Oh, and cumin. Just suggestions. Spice is such an individual thing. Let me know if you try the crumbles. Enjoy your kitchen moments!
Thanks for the additional details, Amy. I use most of those spices—except turmeric, but I think it would be a healthy addition. I’m going to check out Gardein and some other animal protein subs—maybe do a flavor comparison! Will let you know!
I’m Australian and I don’t know that I’ve ever cooked chilli- with beans or without, or with meat or without. I do like beans but don’t cook them enough. Reading your post makes me want to cook up a batch, but now I’m worried the beans in my cupboard (homegrown) may be too old! Some are from last year, but I think some in the jar are from the year before. I grow Madagascar beans, which are a large bean. I think they’re a kind of Lima bean.
Thanks for your comment. I am such a bean enthusiast (especially after discovering the many varieties there are and endless things you could do with them) that I often order too many and end up with some that sit around longer than they should. I have found that with soaking and longer cooking (low and slow, making sure to add water so it stays an inch or so above the beans), they often do eventually soften. If they don’t, well at least you’ve tried.
I remember seeing the Rancho Gordo beans in San Francisco a few years ago and wished I could bring some home. But Australian quarantine rules being what they are, it just isn't possible, so I just have to admire them from afar. And I love the contestant rules for the chilli cook-off - "Every adult must be in good standing prior to the commencement of a cook-off"!
I missed that rule about adults being “in good standing,” Julia! Not sure exactly what that means. Maybe you can’t be a cattle rustler, bandit or horse thief? Or steal someone else’s chili recipe?😆
I’m sorry you can’t bring in beans to Australia. I imagine the same rules may apply here for fear of introducing foreign agricultural products. I would think you might have some pretty wonderful local beans though—ones we couldn’t get here.
Your vegetarian chili sounds so good. I never knew about Tina's cornbread. But I have always loved yours. Your mom's pot sure held up. I still have, and use daily, my revereware pots from 1955.
Thanks, Judy! Those Le Creuset pots are workhorses. I remember how proud my mother was of hers. She also had Revere pots. For some reason they seem to have vanished.
Chili is one of my favorite meals since it can be made ahead of time and lasts for two meals. I generally use venison and beans and the combination at least cuts down on meat consumption. A friend swears by cooking dried beans in a pressure cooker, but when I soak and boil them they are usually tough. I shall have to try your brand. Love the story about chili bricks in the Old West! Thanks Ruth.
Thanks for your comment, Vicki! I’ve never tried chili with venison—nor venison at all. I’d like to as I’ve read it’s a lot leaner and healthier than beef.
I forgot to mention that it’s important to have some idea of the turnover rate and expiration date of the dried beans you buy. If they’re too old, they may not soften, no matter how long you cooked them or if you soaked them first. That’s happened to me with grocery store beans but never the ones from RG (and no, I’m not being paid to say this—just a big fan!).
I love chili but haven’t made it in months, even with all this rain! The two chili recipes I use the most don’t use beans - I have a butternut squash and ground turkey version that’s a big hit and an easy weeknight dish, and a Cuisinart turkey and onion chili recipe that’s a labor of love (but freezes well).
Those both sounds delicious, Lisa! Do you serve them on their own or pair them with something?
I usually pair chili with chips and salsa. But then again, I could pair chips and salsa with almost anything lol.
Ditto!
I LOVE chili! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe and funny enough I just sent Amie my vegetarian chili recipe in the mail. HA! I love beans and no meat. A big scoop of guac on top is delicious. :)
Mmmmmmm…! I love the guac idea, Julie! I bet chili would be great fuel for a runner.🏃♀️Thanks so much for your comment!
It sure is! Perfect after a long cold run. :)
I've been off my chili game lately but you set me to hankering to try again this weekend! Thanks for the push.
Thanks for weighing in, Pat. I’m sure you’ll come up with something delicious!😊
Chili (with meat or vegetarian) + pumpkin cornbread is one of my favorite make-ahead (and freezable) dinners! No 2 pots of chili are ever the same - I vary the types of beans (always RG!), the type of chili powder, the vegetables, the meat (or not). But it’s always delicious! I love to serve chili with avocado and hot sauce, plus a big slice of pumpkin cornbread alongside. My daughter always requests sautéed green beans as a side dish to chili, she just likes the flavor/texture combo. I think I’ll make a big pot of chili this weekend while it’s still winter-y weather (although I eat chili all year long)!
Thanks, Jessica! I agree completely—no two pots of chili are ever the same. Also, chili IS good any time of year. Pumpkin cornbread sounds really good too. I’ll have to give it a try! Also something that sounds timeless!
Here’s the pumpkin cornbread recipe I use, although I make mine with AP flour and (dairy) buttermilk! https://www.thefullhelping.com/vegan-gluten-free-pumpkin-skillet-cornbread/#recipe
Thanks, Jessica! That sounds excellent
Thanks Ruth! I always learn such great cooking tips from you! I want to buy those beans now. 😊 You inspire me to try new recipes. Thanks!
Oh that’s so nice to hear, Linda! I think you’ll really enjoy those beans. They inspire me to try new things and learn more too. Please let me know if you try them—and what you make.🌹
Thanks, Sally! I’d love to know more about your husband’s recipe(s). Chili is a perfect vehicle for experimentation—a wonderful blank canvas, with endless possibilities for variation, which makes it a fun dish to make!
Thanks for including the link to your blog – I just signed up! 😀
I can smell and almost taste your chili. My husband is our chili maker, and he loves to experiment and usually makes two cast iron Dutch ovens at the same time with varying ingredients. He also inscribes my mom's recipe as a base. Thank you for sharing!
https://writerswrites.com/
I continue to be amazed at the endless varieties of chili AND that we seemingly share a culinary brain, Ruth. My next issue of Cook & Tell features my mom’s chili recipe 😆we should collaborate on a future issue!
PS: my chili preferences will be apparent next week
Oh, wow, Amie! Clearly we do share some culinary DNA! I can’t wait to read your next Cook & Tell—I’m definitely on a chili kick and making more this week. A collaboration would be fun. So many possibilities!❤️
This is all so wonderful! I love that you cook with memory and care, Ruth. Beans are so comforting and nourishing. Will have to explore Rancho Gordo beans! I make vegetarian chili and I use Gardein crumbles instead of animal protein. I also like green chilies. I’m not vegetarian but my family is so there you go. Can’t wait to make some chili tomorrow! Thanks, Ruth!
Thanks so much for your kind comments, Amy! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed in RG beans. We’re not vegetarians either but are trying to be more responsible and healthy eaters without sacrificing taste. I haven’t tried Gardein crumbles, but I’ve used other meat substitutes. I haven’t always been happy, but I think I might give it another try and see how it turns out. Thanks for the inspiration—and good luck with yours!🤗
You are very welcome, Ruth! The alternative proteins have come a long way. The crumbles add protein and I like Gardein the best. You might miss the fat of animal protein. Not sure what you enjoy. I use garlic, salt, pepper, chili powder, green chile, onion, turmeric, and tomato paste. Oh, and cumin. Just suggestions. Spice is such an individual thing. Let me know if you try the crumbles. Enjoy your kitchen moments!
Thanks for the additional details, Amy. I use most of those spices—except turmeric, but I think it would be a healthy addition. I’m going to check out Gardein and some other animal protein subs—maybe do a flavor comparison! Will let you know!
I’m Australian and I don’t know that I’ve ever cooked chilli- with beans or without, or with meat or without. I do like beans but don’t cook them enough. Reading your post makes me want to cook up a batch, but now I’m worried the beans in my cupboard (homegrown) may be too old! Some are from last year, but I think some in the jar are from the year before. I grow Madagascar beans, which are a large bean. I think they’re a kind of Lima bean.
Thanks for your comment. I am such a bean enthusiast (especially after discovering the many varieties there are and endless things you could do with them) that I often order too many and end up with some that sit around longer than they should. I have found that with soaking and longer cooking (low and slow, making sure to add water so it stays an inch or so above the beans), they often do eventually soften. If they don’t, well at least you’ve tried.
I also just found a website that suggests adding baking soda to the soaking water (1/4 teaspoon per pound of beans), soaking for 4 hours, rinsing them, then adding 1/4 teaspoon soda per cup of beans to the fresh cooking water. Here’s a link to the article: https://rillfoods.com/how-to-soften-old-beans-with-baking-soda/#:~:text=Baking%20soda%20can%20help%20significantly,beans%20from%20hydrating%20as%20quickly.
I hope this helps! Please let me know if you make them and what you think.
I remember seeing the Rancho Gordo beans in San Francisco a few years ago and wished I could bring some home. But Australian quarantine rules being what they are, it just isn't possible, so I just have to admire them from afar. And I love the contestant rules for the chilli cook-off - "Every adult must be in good standing prior to the commencement of a cook-off"!
I missed that rule about adults being “in good standing,” Julia! Not sure exactly what that means. Maybe you can’t be a cattle rustler, bandit or horse thief? Or steal someone else’s chili recipe?😆
I’m sorry you can’t bring in beans to Australia. I imagine the same rules may apply here for fear of introducing foreign agricultural products. I would think you might have some pretty wonderful local beans though—ones we couldn’t get here.
Thanks so much for your comment!
Your vegetarian chili sounds so good. I never knew about Tina's cornbread. But I have always loved yours. Your mom's pot sure held up. I still have, and use daily, my revereware pots from 1955.
Thanks, Judy! Those Le Creuset pots are workhorses. I remember how proud my mother was of hers. She also had Revere pots. For some reason they seem to have vanished.
Ruth and Anne and Tina all in one post! Everything looks SO GOOD Ruth! 😋
Thanks so much, Jolene! It was good—I think I’ll have to make some more!
Chili is one of my favorite meals since it can be made ahead of time and lasts for two meals. I generally use venison and beans and the combination at least cuts down on meat consumption. A friend swears by cooking dried beans in a pressure cooker, but when I soak and boil them they are usually tough. I shall have to try your brand. Love the story about chili bricks in the Old West! Thanks Ruth.
Thanks for your comment, Vicki! I’ve never tried chili with venison—nor venison at all. I’d like to as I’ve read it’s a lot leaner and healthier than beef.
I forgot to mention that it’s important to have some idea of the turnover rate and expiration date of the dried beans you buy. If they’re too old, they may not soften, no matter how long you cooked them or if you soaked them first. That’s happened to me with grocery store beans but never the ones from RG (and no, I’m not being paid to say this—just a big fan!).
Great article--you make the best Chili!
Awwww, thanks, dear!🤗