Chili with Beer

Some might call this boilermaker chili. Some might call it tailgate chili. Those two names conjure up different meanings for me, especially concerning their list of ingredients, so I simply named this chili with beer.

Like all tomato sauces, this is better as leftovers, though still incredible the day of. The longer it simmers, the better it'll be too. Enjoy!

Chili with Beer

Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds ground meat (can be anything with or without sausage)
• 1/2 pound dried beans, soaked overnight, sprouted if desired
• 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1/2 6 oz can tomato paste
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 small cubes of beef bouillon
• 1/2 cup beer
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1.5 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1.5 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 1.5 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Cooking Directions

1. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook and crumble the ground meat into the hot pan until evenly browned. Drain off fat.
2. Stir in the soaked beans, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste.
3. Stir in the onion, celery, green and red bell peppers, bouillon, and beer.
4. Stir in chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, oregano, cumin, hot sauce, basil, black pepper, cayenne, paprika, and salt.
5. Stir together, then cover and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
6. After 2 hours, taste and adjust salt, pepper, and chili powder as desired. The longer it cooks, the better it'll taste. It'll also get better when refrigerated like most tomato sauce-based dishes.

World's Best Lasagna?

The world's best lasagna, you say? Perhaps you're having trouble imagining a lasagna better than your grandma's. Well let me assure you, this lasagna is better!

I mean as far as traditional lasagnas go. I'm sure fancy veggie ones or ones that incorporate a whole slew of non-traditional fancinesses are fantastic. BUT this is the world's best traditional lasagna!

The secret is in the sauce. It takes the longest time to prepare, and a lot of love and simmering and seasoning goes into it, so it has to be good. It doesn't hurt when there are top-notch sausages and beef involved too. Plus the delicate mozzarella. Mmm yeah. If you don't believe me, try it yourself. Fair enough? Enjoy!

Disneyland's Blue Bayou Gumbo

So here's the deal. I got Disney's Blue Bayou Gumbo recipe. Yeah that Disney, and yeah that Blue Bayou. Whoa, right? Long story short, I have it. It tweaked it down to the correct proportions because they make it in HUGE batches all day. I had to cut it down by 8 or 12.

This is superb gumbo. The best I've ever had at a restaurant, at least. I know you're thinking "Seriously? Disneyland?" but yes! It's really just that good. And now you'll know how to cook it yourself. There are two styles of cooking it, so experiment with both. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

Disneyland's Blue Bayou Gumbo

Yield: A lot!
Ingredients

• 2 ounces roux (¼ cup room-temperature butter and ¼ cup flour - see note and instructions)
• 1 cup (2 medium) yellow onions, cut into ¼-inch dice
• 1 cup celery, cut into ¼-inch dice
• 2 quarts (8 cups) chicken stock
• 1 cup (12 ounces) cut okra
• 12 ounces meat (chicken and/or andouille sausage and/or shrimp)
• 1 6-ounce can diced tomatoes
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper AND 1/3 teaspoon cayenne pepper (OR 1 tsp. cajun seasoning replaces both)
• 1 teaspoon gumbo file
• 1 tablespoon salt, divided use (OR to taste)
• 2 cups cooked rice
• optional: 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided use
• optional: ¾ pound green bell pepper, cored, seeded, cut into ¼-inch dice
• optional: 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• optional: 2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley

Cooking Directions

Two ways to cook:

Directions 1 (the Disney way - how un-imagineering, if you ask me)


1. Place room-temperature butter in a small saute pan or saucepan over very low heat. Slowly whisk in flour until very smooth. Continue whisking until the roux is the color you desire (blond to brown).
2. Add the onion and celery. Cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add the stock and make sure the roux is dissolved completely. Simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Add remaining ingredients (except file and salt) and return to a simmer. Adjust salt to taste.
5. If you are adding seafood, add it at the very end and make sure it is completely cooked.
6. Add file. Mix well and serve over rice.

Directions 2 (the non-Disney way)


7. Place room-temperature butter in a small saute pan or saucepan over very low heat. Slowly whisk in flour until very smooth. Continue whisking until the roux is the color you desire (blond to brown).
8. In a large pot, heat half of the oil over medium heat, add half of the okra and saute until light brown and slimy looking. Add onions, celery, bell pepper, garlic and andouille. Saute until the vegetables become translucent. Be careful not to burn.
9. Add the diced tomatoes, white pepper/cayenne pepper or Cajun seasoning and ¾ tablespoon of the salt. Mix well.
10. Add roux to the chicken stock. Whisk until the roux is completely dissolved. Mix chicken stock/roux mixture with vegetables. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let simmer 10 minutes. Stir frequently so the gumbo doesn't burn into the bottom of the pot.
11. In a saute pan, heat remaining oil over medium heat. Add chicken and remaining salt. Saute until the chicken is cooked through and slightly brown. Add the rest of the okra and cook until hot.
12. Drain well, add to the gumbo. Add/cook seafood. Add the file. Mix well. To serve, divide rice evenly among bowls (a couple of tablespoons per bowl) and ladle gumbo over rice. Garnish with parsley.

And there you have it. If you liked this, I'm sure you'll like all the other things we have in store here. Feel free to come back often and subscribe to the updates on our culinary journey of discovery.