Chorizo Chili Stuffed Potatoes

I made these tasty little guys for a Super Bowl party. They were a hit with the crowd, but unfortunately they didn't help the 49ers win!

 

Chorizo Chili (recipe here)

Or a quicker version of the a Chorizo Chili:
1 link of chorizo sausage, removed from casing
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1 can of your favorite chili
10 small red skinned potatoes
Grated cheddar cheese

In a large pot, cook chorizo over medium heat. Add jalapenos; cook for 2-4 minutes. Add a can of chili. Mix together and cook until chorizo is cooked all the way through.

Cut potatoes in half and boil or steam until fork tender; drain. Using a melon baller or a small spoon, scoop out centers of potatoes. Do not pierce potato skins. Fill with chili and top with cheese.

Place filled potatoes on a baking sheet and under broiler for 2-3 minutes.

3 x 4 Spicy Turkey Chili

Three types of beans and four types of peppers.

We are having a chili cook off at work, so I tested out two recipes. This is a white chili using turkey. I think it might stand out more against the traditional red. It is healthy and spicy. My other batch was a Three-Bean Chorizo Chili.

Which one do you like better?

Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves
1 small yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
1 lb ground turkey
1 14.5 oz can of pinto beans
1 14.5 oz can of white beans
3/4 cup cooked lentils
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
½ cup chicken broth
¼ cup minced cilantro
Salt, to taste
Juice from one lime

In a large pot over med-high heat, cook onion, garlic and peppers in EVOO for 4 minutes. Add turkey. Cook for 5 minutes, breaking apart meat and mixing together. Turn heat to med-low and mix in remaining ingredients (except salt and lime juice). Cover and cook for 1+ hours, stirring occasionally. Add salt to your liking. Do not boil, otherwise the beans will turn to mush. Mix in lime juice before serving.

Serve chili topped with grated cheddar cheese, diced raw onion and/or a dollop of sour cream.

Note: I cooked mine on the stove top over low heat for about 3 hours, stirring occasionally, allowing the flavors to mingle. You can also use the crock pot or slow cooker.

Three-Bean Chorizo Chili

We are having a chili cook off at work, so I tested out two recipes. I wanted to do a spin on the traditional chili by adding the chorizo pork and lentils. This batch was spicy and full of flavor. My other batch was a Three-Pepper Turkey Chili.

Which one do you like better?

Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves
½ cup diced green bell pepper
10 oz chorizo pork, remove from casing
½ lb ground beef
1 14.5 oz can of red kidney beans
1 14.5 oz can of pinto beans
3/4 cup dried lentils
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
½ cup halved cherry tomatoes
¾ cup chicken broth
Salt, to taste

In a large pot over med-high heat, cook onion and garlic in EVOO for 3-4 minutes. Add peppers; sauté for 3 minutes. Add chorizo pork and beef. Cook for 5 minutes, breaking apart meat and mixing together. Turn heat to med-low and mix in remaining ingredients (except salt). Cover and cook for 1+ hours, stirring occasionally. When lentils are tender, taste and add salt to your liking. Do not boil, otherwise the beans will turn to mush.

Serve chili topped with grated cheddar cheese, diced raw onion and/or a dollop of sour cream.

Note: I cooked mine over the stove top  on low for about 3 hours, stirring occasionally, allowing the flavors to mingle. You can also use the crock pot or slow cooker.

If you have leftover chili, try these stuffed potatoes.

Lentil Chili

This dish was really tasty. Next time, I'll probably add kidney and mung beans then call it 'three bean chili'. 

1 cup lentils
1 lb of ground beef or turkey
2 celery ribs, diced
½ red bell pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes (with jalapenos if you want to add some spice)
1 8 oz can of tomato sauce
1 Tbsp chili powder
½ tsp cumin

In a pot over high heat, add lentils and cover with water - about one inch over lentils. Bring to a boil then turn to low and simmer; cover and cook for about 30 minutes until lentils are tender. Drain any excess water and set aside.

In a sauté pan, brown meat; drain any excess fat. Add veggies and cook together until vegetables are soft. Stir in diced tomatoes, sauce, chili powder, cumin and lentils. Cover and simmer on low for 15-20 minutes.

Serve with a few dashes of hot sauce for an extra kick.

Note: If you don’t have chili powder or cumin, you can add a package of chili mix instead of the individual spices.

One Pot of Chili: Two Dinners

Two dinners with one pot of chili. The second one just got created with the leftovers from the first. I love it when that happens!

Chili Stuffed Poblano Peppers
using leftover Spicy Turkey Chili

Dinner One: Spicy Turkey Chili

1 lb spicy turkey sausage
½ cup diced celery
1 can kidney beans, undrained
1 can diced tomatoes with jalapenos, undrained
1 package of McCormick’s chili seasoning

Toppings:
Shredded Cheddar cheese
Diced red onions
Sour cream

Over med-high heat, drizzle EVOO in pan and wait for it to get hot. To prevent meat from sticking to your fingers, using wet hands, remove sausage from casings and drop into pan to cook through. Add celery; sauté for a couple minutes until soft. Stir in beans, tomatoes and chili seasoning. Cover, turn low and simmer for about 20 minutes; stir occasionally.

Serve in bowl topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, diced red onions and a dollop of sour cream.

Dinner Two: Chili Stuffed Poblano Peppers

½ cup rice
1 cup broth
2 cups of chili from recipe above
1 large Poblano Pepper
Shredded Cheddar cheese

In the rice cooker, cook rice with broth. Once done, mix in chili; set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. (Since I’m only using one pepper for the two of us, I just cooked it in the toaster oven.) Cut pepper in half, deseed and devein. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until soft and skin bubbles. Remove pepper halves from oven, fill with chili rice mixture. Top with shredded Cheddar cheese and place under broil for about 2 minutes until cheese is bubbly and melted.

Serve with a side salad topped with veggies and tossed in light vinaigrette.

Crock Pot Tex-Mex Chili

1 lb beef (80/20)

3 Italian spicy hot links, meat removed from casings

2-15 oz kidney beans
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onions
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 large jalapeno, minced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1-16 oz diced tomatoes, undrained
1-8 oz tomato sauce
1 package of McCormick chili seasoning

Combine all ingredients in crock pot. Break up meat and gently mix ingredients together. Cover and cook on low for 8+ hours. Stir before serving.

Garnish with cheddar cheese and minced onion. Serve with sliced bread.

Mexican Chili

People often say to me, “But I don’t have all the ingredients in my kitchen” or “I don’t want to buy one jar of spice just for one dinner.” I found a great solution for a dish I wanted to make but didn't want to buy a jar of cumin or chili powder. I found these Recipe Inspirations by McCormick in the spice section of the grocery store, which contain pre-measured spices for different recipes. I just happened to find one that worked  perfectly with my recipe.

2 Tbsp EVOO
1 lb boneless pork loin, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 small onion, minced (save 1 Tbsp for topping)
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
2 cans cannellini beans, drained
1 can chicken broth
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
½ tsp salt

In a medium pan over med-high heat, add EVOO and brown all sides of the pork. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add onions to pan and sauté until tender. Add seasonings, cook and stir for 1-2 more minutes. Add pork, beans and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a small bowl, combine avocado, cilantro, ½ Tbsp minced onion, lime juice and salt.

Top chili with avocado mixture and warm corn tortillas.

Chili Baked Potato

Combo #2 at Spuds (my made-up eatery)

2 large Russet potatoes

Toppings:
Shredded cheddar cheese
Minced red onions
Sour cream

Chili recipe:
1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 Tbsp finely chopped jalapenos
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook beef with onions. Add garlic and bell peppers; cook, for 2 minutes. Add jalapenos, tomatoes, beans and seasonings. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 30 minutes.

Clean potato and wrap in saran wrap. Microwave for about 6 minutes. Remove saran wrap. Peirce with fork and press both ends together to open.

Top with chili, cheese, red onions and a dollop of sour cream.

Yummy Camping Dinner: Chili Bowls

We enjoyed this traditional, camping meal the first night since it took the least amount of time. You can save the soft middle of the bread to dip in the chili or I used it to feed the geese on the lake in the morning.



2 cans of chili
2 small sourdough bread bowls
A bag of shredded cheddar cheese
½ yellow onion, finely chopped

Heat chili over the stove top. Cut tops off of the bread bowls and scrape out the middles to create a bowl. Be careful not to poke holes in the sides so the chili won’t spill out. Pour chili in bread bowls and top with cheese and onion. I also like to add a dollop of sour cream, if you have it.