Monday, January 2, 2012

Woops! and Mercer Chili

Yes, I have been a very bad blogger.

There is no denying that.

The past four months have been filled with ALOT of changes and events.

Leaving New York......i still miss it, but it was the right decision.....

Driving across the country.....

Moving back to California and starting a new job......


And the holidays.....



But now that life has settled down a little bit, I would like to share this recipe with you for my mom's chili recipe.  It's simple, makes a LOT, and is a one pot dish!



Mercer Chili
Serves 8 

**This recipe can easily adapt to being vegetarian (just leave out the meat!) since there are ALOT of beans.  This recipe can also easily adapt to being vegan so my sister can eat it (just leave out the meat, sour cream, and cheese!)   :)

Ingredients
1 lb ground turkey
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 large can kidney beans, drained
1 large can pinto beans, drained
1 large can chili beans 
1 small can black beans, drained
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 large can tomato puree
2 tbsp cumin
1 tsp garlic salt 
1 tsp chili powder

1.  Cook ground turkey, bell pepper, and onion in large pot.  Season with salt and pepper.
2.  Add rest of ingredients, making sure NOT to drain the chili beans.  
3.  Simmer for 20 minutes.
4.  Adjust seasonings as needed. I love ALOT of cumin, so I usually add a little more.  You can add more chili powder if you like it spicy!
5.  Serve with cheddar cheese, sour cream, or whatever toppings you love!  Cornbread is a must!

Cooking the turkey, onion, and bell pepper

Make your boyfriend open ALL of the cans for you

Buy the world's best cornbread mix

And spice it up!

This chili freezes really well!  It makes a ton so eat half now and save the other half for another week when you do not have time to cook dinner.  We just poured the leftovers into a Ziplock gallon freezer bag, double bagged it, and then popped it in the freezer.  To defrost, I let it sit in a sink full of water for a few hours and then reheated it in the microwave or stovetop. 

Happy 2012 - I am really excited for this year!

Love, Allison