Beer Chili

I've been making this chili forever, but the recipe varies depending on what I have on hand. I actually went to Publix last night and bought a few ingredients I knew I didn't have. I thought I had kidney beans in my pantry and didn't bother to check. I should have. I looked high and low and couldn't find any...I finally found a can that got shoved in the back (no worries, it isn't expired!). But it would have been fine without it - this recipe can be made with whatever you have on hand. I have staples in my pantry/fridge/freezer that I almost always have: canned black beans, chicken stock, frozen corn, carrots, ground turkey, and beer.

I prefer to use beer instead of broth for the chili b/c it just adds a different flavor. Yes I feed this to the kids - they love it! No, worries, the alcohol gets cooked off and you are just left with the flavor. It's weird b/c I'm not a huge beer drinker. If I drink it, it's usually just a few sips of Kevin's beer. Kevin only had 1 bottle of beer left...I used it for the chili! Shhh!!! Don't tell him! I hope he forgets that he had 1 bottle left!

Here is the version I made today:

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey
celery, cut into half moons (I only had 4 stalks left so I used it all - I probably would have used 1-2 more if I had more)
carrots (I used the fresh microwaveable kind from Publix - we always have this b/c Parker loves to snack on them)
half of a large white onion, diced
5 cloves of garlic, minced (we love garlic!)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes w/ juices (I used the kind w/ garlic, basil, and oregano b/c it was on sale,  I used to use the kind of green chiles, but it's a little too spicy for the kids)
frozen corn
dried parsley
dried oregano
sweet paprika (about 1 Tbsp)
mild chile powder (about 1-1.5 Tbsp)
1 bottle/can of beer or 1 can of chicken stock
1 Tbsp of flour
oil (just enough to lightly coat bottom of the pot so that the turkey doesn't stick)

Toppings:
sour cream
shredded cheese
green onions (I didn't have any...well I did, but they weren't looking too good)

Directions:
1. Heat oil under medium/high heat and brown the turkey. When half the turkey has browned, add onions, garlic, celery, and carrots. Soften the carrots and celery a bit.

2. Add beans, tomatoes w/ juice, frozen corn, dried parsley, dried oregano, paprika, chile powder, and beer/broth. Mix together and allow it to boil. Either allow to boil on medium/high heat for 20-30 min or simmer for 1 hour. I've allowed this to simmer for 1.5 hours and it was PURE TORTURE smelling it cooking for that long!

3. This step is optional. If you want a slightly soup-y chili, then skip it. If you like it a little thick, then add 1 Tbsp of flour in small bowl with about 3 Tbsp of water. Mix until there are no lumps. It will be a runny rue. Add to chili, mix it in, and allow flour to cook through - about 5 minutes.

4. Top it with cheese, sour cream and green onions!

this picture has nothing to do with chili other than she was being cute while I was cooking. She grabbed 2 of her babies and started alternating between walking/bouncing them around the house and sitting down and swaying from side to side and giving them kisses on their heads...all while saying: "Shhh, shhh, shhh kwy." (Shh quiet). 

It's not particularly cold out...in fact, it's in the mid 70s, but I was craving chili. We live in Florida and we haven't had many cool nights this "winter". Just turn the AC down and pretend it's cold out. I made myself a small bowl after the kids had just eaten a snack. Both kids flocked over to me - they LOVE chili! Parker asked: "Mommy, I have some of you chili soup, please?" and Avery demanded: "Bite! Bite!". Of course I shared...but all I could think about was shoveling as many big bites as I could in my mouth before tiny little mouths came back for more. lol Do your kids do this too??? Ask to have some of your food even though they just ate? 

This chili is really yummy with French bread or beer bread! Enjoy!