Award-Winning Chili Recipes

Scott's Drunk Turkey Chili

Notes from Scott: I can’t take full credit for this recipe. I found it on the Food Network’s website as a featured Super Bowl Chili a couple years ago and have made some adjustments to suit my liking.

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 med yellow onion (chopped)
5 cloves of garlic (chopped)
1-2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp Kosher salt
2 Tbsp tomato paste
3 chipotle chilies en adobo (coarsely chopped), with 1.5 Tbsp of the adobo sauce (you can find this in the ethnic foods section at the grocery store in a little can. This gives the chili it’s heat and smoked flavor)
20 oz ground turkey
1 (12 oz) Mexican lager-style beer (I prefer Dos Equis)
2 (14 ½ oz) cans whole peeled tomatoes
1 (15 ½ oz) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Directions:
Heat olive oil over med-high heat.
Add the onion, garlic, salt, and chili powder and cook while stirring ~3 min
Stir in tomato paste and the chipotle chilies and adobo sauce, cook while stirring ~1 min
Add turkey and cook until it looses its raw color ~3 min
Add the beer and simmer until reduced by about half ~8 min
Wash hands
Add tomatoes—crushing them through your fingers into the skillet—along with the extra juice from one of the cans.
Add beans and bring to a boil.
Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally until a good thickness ~10 min

I use an large electric skillet when cooking this chili. If you are using a saucepan, it will take longer than the suggested times for liquids to reduce. It’s ready to eat right away, but will continue to soak up flavor if you cover it or put in a crock pot. Delicious garnishes are: pepper jack cheese and avocado mixed with sour cream

Wed Wagon Wheel Chili

Notes from Jessica: Zeke found his culinary inspiration at: http://www.famouschilirecipes.com/Halftime.html To make this recipe a little extra-tasty, we also added a few dashes of hot sauce, some ground up red pepper, a teaspoon or so of chili powder, and (of course, the secret ingredient) wagon wheel noodles.

Ingredients
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
8 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 pounds ground chuck
1 envelope taco seasoning or 1/4 cup taco seasoning
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 15oz can tomato sauce
3 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 6oz can tomato paste
2 15 to 16oz cans of kidney beans (drained)

Directions
Heat oil in heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic. Saute about 8 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add chuck and cook until brown, breaking up meat with a spatula as it cooks. Add taco seasoning, basil, oregano, and thyme. Stir 2 minutes. Mix in tomato sauce, chicken broth and tomato paste. Simmer until thickened to desired consistency, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, about 1 and a half hours. Mix in beans. Simmer for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until cold then reheat over low when ready to serve.