Day 29: Chili with Cheddar Sour Cream Corn Biscuits

My dad made the best chili! It was spicy and filled with the most perfectly seasoned ground beef, onion, and green pepper, topped with cheddar cheese, sour cream, and jalapenos. I never added the peppers to mine as they were just way too hot, but my dad and my sister Caroline loved spicy food. I loved the onions.

When my dad and my moms divorced, Chili was one of the the things I missed about his presence. Don’t get me wrong, I wish he did not leave, but when your house is filled with the bickering of two unhappy parents the things you miss are the quite. Like when we were all eating his chili on a winter night. I have spent many nights trying to perfect my own chili in the hopes of it being as good as my dad’s. I think I have. It is a combination of my own recipe and some measurements and a biscuit idea that I found from Deb over at SmittenKitchen (can you tell that it is my favorite foodie site?)

I warn you though, my chili is hardy and the recipe makes enough for you to survive the winter. So pack it in containers and freeze it! You won’t regret it.

Spicy Ground Beef and Turkey Chili with Beans

• About 2 cups of The Family Gravy with mushrooms
• 2 large red onions
• 8 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 Family pack of ground beef (at least 92% Lean)
• 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil
• 1 tablespoon of spicy mustard
• 1 tablespoon of dried oregano
• 1/2 cup chili powder (SmittenKitchen calls for 1/4 cup but I used more meat. I never pay attention to how much I add but I used Deb’s as a starting point and worked from there.)
• 2 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon Dried red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoons of cayenne pepper
• 1 large bell pepper
• 1/2 cup of beef broth
• 1 lb of dried kidney beans (soaked overnight or cooked separately using quick soak method. I precooked my beans for about an hour before adding to chili)

Heat a large pan (I use a 7 1/4 Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven for most of my stews/soups) and add olive oil. Saute onions over medium-low heat until clear. Add garlic and saute for an additional minute being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the ground turkey, being sure to break it up, and cook on medium until no longer pink. Add ground beef, again breaking it up, and cook until no longer pink. Stir in the mustard, followed by all the dry ingredients and the bell pepper. Be sure to mix thoroughly. Add beef broth and cook for about 10 minutes. Add The Family Gravy being sure to mix well. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Cook for 45 minutes. Add the beans and cook for another 30-45 minutes.

Serve with rice or over split biscuits (recipe below)

Cheddar Sour Cream Corn Biscuits
(Adapted from SmittenKitchen)
(makes

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
• 1/4 pound sharp Cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1.5 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup of polenta

Preheat oven to 425°F. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Either cut the butter pieces into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or rub them in with your fingertips until well-combined.

[My Changes] Stir in the cheddar and sour cream until the mixture forms a loose but sticky dough. Pour it onto a flat and well-floured surface and fold the polenta into the dough until it is now sticky and almost firm. Pat out until they are about 1/4 inch thick. I don’t have cookie cutters so used a small child’s cup to cut out biscuits (should make eight). Bake on parchment-lined cookie sheet for 16-18 minutes.