Thanksgiving Sandwiches

I'm alive! Very much so.

I did not go AWOL exactly. I got a full-time job working in a High School as an aide for a mental health program. It is awesome but I am doing that on top of being a sign language interpreter and a captionist.

Needless to say, I have a lot on my plate. We all know I like to fill my plate up ;)

I don't have as much time to blog and cook like I used to but I hope to keep it up somewhat.

Yesterday was one of my most favorite days of the year...the first day of fall! I'm so ready for cozy sweaters, crock-pot meals and pumpkin spice lattes!

If anyone else is excited already for Thanksgiving, and just cannot wait, you oughtta try out a Thanksgiving sandwich. I actually made this months ago because I was spontaneously hit and overcome with a craving for a Thanksgiving dinner. That is not so easy to come by in the middle of May so I made this gem.

It tastes like the holidays. Trust me.

Thanksgiving Sandwiches
Dame Good

Ingredients:
Serves 6-8

Turkey:
1.5 lbs of turkey breast
1/3 cup apple cider
1/3 cup chicken stock
1/2 tablespoon thyme
2 cloves of garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

1 box reduced-sodium stuffing
1 can cranberry sauce
light mayonnaise
Wheat hamburger buns

Directions:

Combine all of the turkey ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low for 5-7 hours. Shred with two forks.

Cook stuffing according to box instructions.

Assemble sandwiches by putting desired amount of cranberry sauce on bottom bun, top with shredded turkey. Scoop stuffing on top of the turkey. Put desired amount of mayonnaise on top bun and enjoy!

Carrot Cake Oatmeal

I wish I could claim this as my idea.

Carrot cake oatmeal is kinda genius no?

My boss actually gave me the idea. She told me how she came across a recipe for carrot cake oatmeal online somewhere and I decided to come up with my own.

Because I'm stubborn dangerous like that.

I actually never liked the idea of carrot cake until I tried one of the carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting at the bakery...um...yum! As a kid, I thought the idea was gross. Carrots in a cake? No thank you!

Now, I take that back. Please put carrots in my cake. Anyone?

Carrot Cake Oatmeal
Dame Good

Ingredients:

1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup skim milk
1-2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup carrots, shredded
2 tablespoons walnuts, chopped
2 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons shredded coconut
1 tablespoon plain greek yogurt
1 packet of splenda (optional, if you would like more sweetness)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1 1/2-2 minutes or until thickened. Enjoy!

Lightened Broccoli and Cheddar Soup

I am no longer living in the "technological stone ages"!

Well, in terms of cell phones that is...my laptop is still ancient and my digital camera is a joke and my iPod is from 2005 but my phone...my phone is shiny and new.

I finally conformed and got an iPhone.

Yeah, I love it.

I can't stop playing with it.

Now I want a spankin' new lap top, a iPad, a iPod touch, a nice Panasonic Lumix zs7 digital camera (great for food photography I hear), and a Kindle Fire.

But that ain't happening.

This chick is poor. And spends all her money on food.

And shoes.

Mmm food and shoes :)

I think it is now required of me that I immediately go to Panera Bread and plop myself next to the fireplace and act all technologically savvy.

Not sure I could pull that off but speaking of Panera...please tell me I am not the only one obsessed with their broccoli and cheddar soup in a bread bowl...

Didn't think so. I love it. LOVE it. But have a hard time putting out of my mind the fact that it is cheese and cream and carb overload (not a hard enough time not to eat it (psh!) but enough to push me extra hard at the gym).

I decided to find a copycat recipe and lighten it some.

Is it identical? No. Is it a quick fix for a Panera craving? Yeah, I think so. Worth a shot!

Lightened Broccoli and Cheddar Soup
Adapted from CDkitchen.com


Ingredients:

1 tablespoon light butter spread (I use I Can't Believe it's Not Butter Light), melted
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup melted light butter spread (I use I Can't Believe it's Not Butter Light)
1/4 cup flour
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup skim milk
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken stock or bouillon
1/2 pound fresh broccoli
1 cup carrots, julienned
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 ounces grated reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

Saute onion in butter. Set aside. Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and slowly add the half-and-half and skim milk(this is called making a roux). Add the chicken stock whisking all the time. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender for 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper. The soup should be thickened by now. Pour in batches into blender and puree. Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese; stir until well blended. Stir in the nutmeg and serve.

Serve with wheat bread roll.

Lightened Brown Rice Jambalaya

It is Fat Tuesday.

My kinda day.

I have never personally experienced Mardi Gras nor do I tend to participate in lent but an excuse to be fat? Sign me up!

Is it sad that I just learned why they call it "Fat Tuesday"? Yeah, sometimes I am rather clueless.

But for those of you who are like me and never thought about why they labeled this day "Fat Tuesday" but simply accepted it as a legitimate reason to stuff your face...well...it is because tomorrow is "Ash Wednesday" and people tend to give up something (oftentimes it is food that is so darn good to your mouth but not so much your health)so therefore people shovel food into their face like their is no tomorrow...

Might as well not be if you can't enjoy chocolate, margaritas, jalapeno poppers and cheesecake...

Just my take on things.

If you ask me "Fat Tuesday" sounds like my standard Sunday...aka my "cheat" day.

Sometimes...just sometimes...I take it a little overboard.

Meh.

In honor of Mardi Gras, I decided to make me some jambalaya. And since I have been craving it, I knew I wouldn't be able to resist indulging in a large bowl (especially considering that the day is named "fat" and all)...so I decided to go a lighter route.

You can't even frickin' tell.

I like mine extra spicy so feel free to play around with the spices and hot sauce. I also prefer my jambalaya with just sausage and sometimes chicken so I left out the shrimp. Its easy to add it though...just toss some in about 10 minutes before the cooking time is up and you're all done when the shrimp is pink :)

Lightened Brown Rice Jambalaya
Adapted from Lowcaloriecooking.about.com

Ingredients:

8 oz. smoked turkey sausage, sliced into 1/2 inch coins
8 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove minced garlic
1 Tbsp fresh thyme
1 1/2 cups brown rice
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

In a large dutch oven, cook the sausage and chicken over medium-high heat until browned. Remove and set aside.

Add the canola oil to the pan, and cook the celery, onion, green pepper, and garlic for 3-5 minutes, until tender. Add the Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, thyme and rice, and cook 3 more minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, tomatoes, salt, black pepper, and ground red pepper.

Cover, and cook 20 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. Add the shrimp, and cook 3-5 minutes longer, until the shrimp is bright pink.

Serves 8

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day.

Duh.

As much as I want to say it is only a Hallmark holiday and as much as I truly believe one shouldn't need a holiday to show someone you care...I do appreciate the excuse to get into "cheese" mode and do something cute.

I firmly believe that being thoughtful and showing someone how you feel about them should happen frequently...on Holidays or on your average plain ol' day. BUT...yes, there is a BUT...I will accept the Hallmark holiday as an excuse to have a nice dinner and eat a lot little chocolate.

That man of mine and I are making dinner together tomorrow. We did it last year when we made that lovely salmon meal and I kind of like the idea of making it a tradition to make a nice dinner together.

It is usually me doing the cooking so it should be nice to work on a meal together...and I think stuffed shells is just perfect for that.

In other news...I have a confession.

I know this is going to set me apart from all that is normal but I am not the biggest fan of red velvet.

Ok. Ok. Hear me out. It is really just a mild chocolate cake with some vanilla that tastes like food coloring. Yes, the frosting (if it is cream cheese) is da-fricking-bomb but the cake for me has always been "eh".

Yeah, I know. I have heard that I am crazy once or twice.

That man of mine happens to love red velvet...as do the other inhabitants of his man cave so I decided to suck it up and make him/them some of these brownies...

That I can't stop eating.

What the?

It must be the use of dark chocolate rather than cocoa and my lack of control when it comes to cream cheese.

Yeah, that must be it.

Long story short? These brownies are the exception to my "red velvet rule"...and The Cheesecake Factory's red velvet cheesecake (again...the cream cheese is totally to blame there).

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies
Adapted from SweetPeasKitchen.com

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
2-oz dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp red food coloring
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
8-oz neaufchatel cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 8 inch metal baking pan. Put a long piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, letting the parchment extend up two sides of the pan and overhang slightly on both ends. (This will make it easy to remove the bars from the pan after they have baked.) Butter the parchment.

In a small, heatproof bowl, melt butter and chocolate together. Stir until combined and very smooth. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and red food coloring. Add chocolate mixture and stir until smooth. Add flour and salt and stir until just combined and no streaks of dry ingredients remain.

Pour into prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
To prepare cheesecake mixture, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla extract in a medium bowl until smooth. Distribute the cheesecake mixture in 8 dollops over batter in the pan. Swirl in with a knife or spatula.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until brownies and cheesecake are set. A knife inserted into the cheesecake mixture should come out clean and the edges will be lightly browned.
Let cool completely in pan on a cooling rack before lifting out the parchment paper to remove the brownies.

Pumpkin Turkey and White Bean Chili

I hope everyone had a good Halloween weekend.

I had a rough time coming up with a costume idea. I tend to like to do silly or funny costumes rather than the scantily clad outfits that most girls my age adorn for Halloween.

I have always been obsessed with all things vintage and fascinated with the many different eras and decades prior to my lifetime. I love old hollywood glamour and everything from the 20's to now.

I decided to be a flapper. Not too creative, but pretty fun to twirl around in.

Trying to get the hair right was a pain in the butt. My hair is long...like to my lower back long and pinning all of it up was not easy. I have never liked the way I look with short hair but you can't be a flapper without a bob...you just cant. It's like illegal or something.

I also feel that I must say. I have been a victim of ABC Family's 13 days of Halloween. Normally, I just get really into it around Christmas but they have been playing "Adams Family", "Practical Magic", and "Hocus Pocus"...no lie...who can resist that?! My productivity has gone down major points.

Thanks ABC Family...I'm sure my teachers will find you to be a legitimate excuse as to not having my work done.

Ps, they are already showing previews for 25 Days of Christmas. I don't know whether to jump with joy or cry. I love my some Christmas but I am not ready for my beloved fall to depart and be replaced by snow and 7 pounds in my mid-section.

Nope, not ready at all.

Speaking of 7 pounds...This chili is once again from one of my "food blogger idols" at Gina's Skinny Recipes. I have made pumpkin chili before and I liked it, but this one was waaaay better...and healthier...and easier...and cheaper.

Win. Win. Win. and Win.

Pumpkin Turkey and White Bean Chili
Adapted from Skinnytaste.com

Ingredients:

cooking spray
2 lb 99% lean ground turkey
1/2 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp chili powder, to taste
2 bay leaves
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp oregano
2 (15 oz cans) of white northern or navy beans, rinsed and drained
15 oz can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
4.5 oz canned chopped green chile
2 cups low sodium, fat free chicken broth
fat free sour cream for topping (optional)
chopped cilantro and chives for topping (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat a large heavy saute pan over high heat and lightly spray with oil.
Add meat and cook, breaking it up until white, about 5 minutes. Add to crock pot.

Add oil to the saute pan, then onions, garlic, sauté about 3 - 4 minutes;
add cumin and sauté another minute.

Add to crock pot. Add beans, pumpkin puree, green chilis, broth, chili powder, oregano, and bay leaves.

Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.

Remove bay leaves and adjust seasoning to taste before serving.

Hot Cocoa Cookies

I recently said "so long" to Winter in one of my posts. Sorry Winter, I will not miss you, I will miss the holidays and having a "bug-less" apartment...but that's about it...

Peace out girl scout!

Seriously though, yesterday I was minding my own business when I spotted a huge black spider scurry across my floor...I shrieked so loud Kirby started barking...whoops! I shudder at the thought of spiders...

Gross.

I also said "so long" to winter by making these hot cocoa cookies. During the last couple weeks of that dreadful season I made these for Shawn and I as we cuddled up on the couch to watch some movies...since that is all I ever want to do in the winter...

Eat+cuddle+movies= :)

Let me tell you about where I found these cookies. Guys, I have a blog idol. I stumbled across this brilliant woman's blog on accident and am so glad I did. Everytime I visit How Sweet Eats my jaw drops. Not only do we have very similar cooking likes and dislikes and styles (we have made a lot of the same things, hers being much better but I accept that) but she is pure genious.

Her ideas leave me smacking myself wondering why the heck I didn't think of that! Like these cookies for instance! Genius. Also, her pictures are always so beautiful...One day, I hope mine look that good...once I find a good camera and a place to steal natural light...I'm telling you...go to her blog now. You may never come back to mine, but like I said, I idolize her blog...so it's okay....

Of course, her cookies look much better than mine. I used one of those tiny cookie scoops to make little bite-size cookies and didn't flatten them at all so they're not as flat and spread out. But they are fun because you can just pop them right in your mouth. This is also dangerous because by the 6th pop, you realize what you've done...whoopsie.

I also wanted to add marshmallows to the top because my favorite thing about hot cocoa are the marshmallows that float around the top. Had I made bigger cookies, I could have used more marshmallows but oh well...

Hot Cocoa Cookies
From Howsweeteats.com

1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup marshmallow fluff
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup mini marshmallows

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until fluffy. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and mix until combined. Stir in marshmallow fluff.

Fold in chocolate chips and marshmallows. Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove, and roll into 1 1/2-inch balls.

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Make sure cookies are fully cooked, because they will be very sticky from the marshmallows. Allow cookies to cool completely, even sticking them in the fridge for 15 minutes before removing from the baking sheet with a spatula. Be patient and gently remove cookies – let sit another 30 minutes.

Spicy Sweet Potato and Chicken Soup

I don't know about anyone else but I am so over this winter thing. We have gotten so much snow lately and I feel like I am constantly freezing. Snow before January=nice...snow after january=torture. One of the few things that makes me feel warm and fuzzy during this long and terrible season is yummy homemade soup. This is one of my new favorites...it is delish.

Sidenote: my digital camera broke! Not that it took the best pictures but it was okay enough. Now I am left with one that takes terrible terrible pictures so I apologize ahead of time...it will have to do until I can afford a nice new one. Does anyone have any suggestions for cameras that take good food pictures but don't cost an arm and a leg?

Sidenote #2: I just dropped Kirby off at the Vet to get fixed today :/ he seemed so scared. I'm nervous for the little guy and my house is so lonely without him. When I dropped him off their power was out but hopefully it comes back on today so we can get this over with...my poor little baby :(

Spicy Sweet Potato and Chicken Soup
From Foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium carrots, peeled
2 ribs celery
1 large onion, peeled and halved
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 to 2 chipotle chili in adobo, finely chopped, plus a spoon of sauce from the can
Salt and black pepper
1 teaspoon dry thyme, eyeball it
1 bay leaf
1 cup dry white wine, eyeball it
5 cups chicken stock
1 large sweet potato
3/4 to 1 pound chicken tenders, cut into bite size pieces
4 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, a generous handful, roughly chopped
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream, for garnish, optional

Directions:

Heat a soup pot over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, about 2 turns of the pan.

While soup pot heats, chop carrots in half lengthwise then slice into thin half moons. Add the carrots to the pot while it heats, stirring to coat the carrots in the oil. Chop and drop in celery and onion, chopping as small as you can, but don't make yourself crazy. Add the garlic, chipotle, and adobo sauce and stir to combine. Season the veggies with salt, pepper, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook the veggies together 1 minute. Add the wine and reduce a minute. Add the stock to the pot, cover the pot, and raise heat to high. Bring the stoup to a boil, remove the cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into quarters lengthwise, then thinly slice into bite size pieces. Add the cut chicken and sweet potatoes and simmer 5 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender and chicken is cooked through. Turn the heat off and add the scallions and cilantro. Serve each portion of stoup with a dollop of sour cream on top.

Puppy Chow

Christmas is just around the corner. This is unbelieveable to me, mostly because I have barely even put thought into gifts and shopping. It is going to be tight this year because let's face it, I'm poor because I spend the little cash I have on food. There could be worse addictions/obsessions right? I will probably just get my parents a little something and Shawn. Oh and Kirby of course! I like to come up with thoughtful quirky little gifts that maybe somebody wouldn't buy for themself. I am having a hard time with Shawn though, he's tough.

I, on the other hand, think I am extremely easy to shop for. I am not hard to please and have so many likes and needs that it would take very little effort and thought to find me something to squeal over. If I made a list of all the things I would be happy to get, this post would be a mile long. I would love anything that would help me out in the kitchen, I desperately need and want Giada's knife set. My knives suck, plain and simple and it doesn't help that I am a terrible chopper. My food processor sucks too. It is a miniature one and when I am cooking large quantities it is a pain to use. I could go on and on about all the things I could use in the kitchen....

I love fancy perfumes (Miss Dior Cherie...mmm). Shabby Chic anything makes me swoon. Vintage jewlery takes my breath away. Give me anything with a cupcake on it and my day is made. I firmly believe a girl can never have enough shoes. I love booties to no end. I could spend days in Forever 21, Urban Outfitters, H&M, Victorias Secret, Bath and Body Works, Charlotte Russe, Pottery Barn, Sobo Style in Clintonville, Target and any shoe store.

I have a strange obsession with all things that adorn pearls, bows, or ruflles...yes, I'm super girly and love victorian romance. I LOVE to read...my personal library can never get too big. I have a great appreciation for all things old, vintage and classic. I have this weird thing for mens socks...I think it's because I love oversized, wool, comfy socks and the really soft cloud-like ones you get from Bath and Body Works. I love all kinds of movies...yep, I'm easy ;)

To be frank, and this sounds cliche and corny, but I just want time with my friends and family for Christmas. I feel that the older I get, the less time I get with the people I care most about. The shiny presents and fancy ribbons become less important. People are so busy and time flies so fast. I am looking forward to the comfort food, and the quality time this Christmas...I am so cheesy, I know it.

What should I get Kirby? hmm...

Oh, I forgot this blog is supposed to be about food. This here is one of my favorite holiday snacks. For Christmas and holiday parties at school growing up, someone ALWAYS brought this. I hear that not everyone has heard of this? That is preposterous to me! Everyone should have this in their life and on their "holiday eats" list...end of story. I may have eaten a whole large bowl of this in front of the tv delightfully enjoying some ABC Family cheesy Christmas movies...just maybe.

Puppy Chow
From Food.com

Ingredients:

3/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter
8 cups Crispix cereal
2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

Melt the peanut butter, chocolate chips, and butter together. Pour over the cereal and peanuts in a large kettle or bowl and stir well. Pour the powdered sugar into a large brown paper bag and add the cereal. Fold the bag to seal and shake well to coat evenly.

Ma's Cheesy Potatoes

I woke up this morning to snow...lots of it. With Christmas around the corner I have mixed feelings about it. I have a love/hate relationship with snow. I can tolerate it in December because the snow reminds me of the holidays and staying in my cozy apartment with the Kirbinator in my oversized wool socks and a cup of hot chocolate has not gotten old yet. I am somewhat of a homebody so being "snowed in" is just fine with me. Give me a couple of  Christmas movies,a good book and a baking list and I am completely content with the snow....well only for a minute.

It is around January when I really begin to curse the snow. I prefer to snooze, so getting up early to warm up my car and scrape all of the ice of it is not what I consider a good start to the morning. I also have to have the worlds worst circulation and my hands and feet are always cold, blizzards do not really help that. In order to control my hatred of winter and my constant yearn for fall weather I do what probably everyone does during this treacherous season and that is turn to comfort food.

Warm, hearty meals is the one thing that probably takes my mind off of how much the snow sucks after the holidays. Anything with cheese and/or carbs is enough to warm not only my belly but my soul. Every Thanksgiving my mom makes these cheesy potatoes and they are probably one of the first dishes to go because everyone fills up half their plate with the stuff. It is a rather standard and simple recipe (that I lightened and spiced up a bit) but perhaps the simplicity is what makes it so easy to appreciate.

I love these with cornflakes on top but I forgot to buy them, so the next time I make these I will most definitely be putting these on top. I'm thinking about welcoming my dad home on Christmas Eve with these :) he should like that after his long drive from Minnesota (given that he isn't snowed in!)

Ma's Cheesy Potatoes
Dame Good

Ingredients:

1 2lb bag frozen hash browns (cubed)
1 can reduced-fat cream of mushroom soup
1 can reduced-fat cream of chicken soup
16 oz (or half of a 32oz block) 2% Velveeta Cheese, cubed or shredded
6 tablespoons margarine
16 oz reduced-fat sour cream
1 white onion, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
salt, pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350f. Spray a 9x13 casserole dish.

Melt the butter and cheese together, for a couple of minuted in the microwave, stirring until almost completely melted together (a couple of chunks is okay). Mix up all of the ingredients, except the hashbrowns, until well blended. Then add the hash browns and mix thoroughly.

Pour entire mixture into prepared casserole dish. Bake for 1hr 30 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Chili Week: Dragons Breath Chili

There has to be like 10 billion chili recipes out there. So naturally I was quite overwhelmed when I began my search for the best chili recipe I could find. After skimming through what seemed like hundreds of recipes I was discovered a recipe with an awesome name "Dragons Breath Chili". Sounded right up my alley. I love peppers and the spicier the better. I could not have picked a better chili recipe as this is the best I have ever had (aside from the white chili).

When I was making this I accidentally added maybe triple the beer that the recipe calls for and of course Shawn's response was something like "how can that be bad?"...and it wasn't...in fact it was quite awesome. But I can almost guarantee that if I added the correct amount of beer it would have been 100 times better. I cant really imagine it getting much better but I've got a hunch. We served this over homemade low-fat cornbread.

Dragons Breath Chili
Adapted from Foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 red bell peppers, diced (about 2 cups)
2 jalapenos, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
3 Anaheim chiles, roasted, peeled, chopped
3 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, chopped
2 yellow onions, diced (about 2 cups)
1 head garlic, minced (about 1/4 cup)
1 pound boneless chuck, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
2 pounds lean ground beef, coarse grind
1 pound turkey sausage
2 teaspoons granulated onion
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons hot paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup tomato paste
12 ounces lager beer
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken stock
2 (15.5-ounce) cans reduced-sodium pinto beans, with juice
2 (15.5-ounce) cans reduced-sodium kidney beans, with juice
Saltine crackers, for garnish (whole wheat)
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup reduced-fat shredded Cheddar

Directions:

In large stock pot over high heat, add butter and bacon grease. Add bell pepper, jalapeno, chiles and onion and cook until caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute a minute longer. Add chuck and brown. Add ground beef and sausage to brown and stir gently, trying not to break up the ground beef too much. Cook until meat is nicely browned and cooked through, about 7 to10 minutes. Add in granulated onions, granulated garlic, chili powder, paprika, cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add in tomato sauce and paste and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in beer and chicken stock. Add beans, lower heat and simmer for 2 hours.

Garnish with whole wheat saltine crackers, green onions and reduced-fat shredded Cheddar.