The Annual Recipe Exchange -- Texas Chili and Brandy Alexander Pie

It's time for the annual recipe swap with Patheos' Elizabeth Scalia and her readers! Last year she offered these amazing cream puffs and I did these bourbon-berries. Elizabeth noted that she preferred the cream puffs without chocolate sauce, and I'm starting to come around to that view. (Some more experimentation both with and without is needed, to be honest.)

This year Elizabeth sends Brandy Alexander Pie She says it will literally make you happy, and I believe her.

I thought I'd go a bit further afield than Thanksgiving Day proper. Specifically, what about the day before when you'd really rather not spend all day cooking for a meal other than the big show? I know, I know. A bunch of you slackers just order pizza. A better answer: the crock-pot. What could be better than sticking a bunch of yummy things in a pot for hours and walking away?

This is my sister-in-law's simple Texas chili. A feast for any number of people, easy to store and reheat later.

Sis-in-law's Texas Chili

2.5 lb. ground beef
2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
2 yellow onions, diced
2 chili peppers, diced (remove the seeds)
2 carrots, small diced
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 cup water

Brown the beef in a skillet, breaking it up into small pieces, and drain. Put the beef and the rest of the fixings into the crock-pot and simmer over low heat. Stir every 20-30 minutes or so. Cook for three hours or so.

Easy, perfect, no beans. Eat it with shredded cheddar and sour cream, according to your tastes, over tortilla chips, Fritos, or corn bread.

Alright, more than half the fun of the recipe exchange is to see what the commenters here and at Elizabeth's place will offer. I still get comments about this pumpkin cheesecake dip I stole from commenter Angel Em several years ago, so tell us what ya'll are cooking. Make it good.

posted by Gabriel Malor at 10:05 AM

| Access Comments