Game Day

The day that many of us have anxiously awaited is finally here... It's Game Day, y'all! I'm not even kidding. I drove by a store in June that had a countdown in the window saying "57 days til Football Time in Tennessee!" We get excited about our Vols. Not to mention that we have a new coach, and everyone is excited to see what he will do with our team this year. We've been through some rough patches with our coaches in the past 5-6 years, so I think most of the fan base is in wait-and-see mode. But it's a new day, a new season, and we have faith again!

So what does that mean? It means I'm wearing orange and making chili!

In case you can't tell, I make my chili with a lot of stuff in it. Vegetables, meat, beans... It's a hearty meal. Here's the recipe.

Game Day Chili

Serves 6 to 8 people

Ingredients: 

1 C chopped onion

1½ C chopped bell peppers; any color or a combination

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained

1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes (I use no salt added)

1 C mild salsa

1½ C chicken or beef broth

1½ T chili powder

1 T brown mustard

1 T Worcestershire sauce

1 t liquid smoke

2 t cumin

¼ t black pepper

1 15oz can dark red kidney beans

1 15oz can red bean

Directions:

Spray a large saucepan with nonstick spray. Add the onions, peppers, and garlic. Cook over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the rest of the ingredients, except the beans. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the beans and cook another 5 minutes.

Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

I know, it is quite a few ingredients, but it is worth it! I made mine early, then transferred to a preheated* slow cooker to keep warm until I'm ready to eat. Which will probably be around kickoff.:-)


*Many moon ago I read that you shouldn't put hot food in a cold/room temp slow cooker because it can cause cracking in the insert. That makes total sense to me! They suggested putting 2" of water in the slow cooker before turning it on to help it heat evenly.