Cold Weather Comfort Food

Until today, the weather has been gradually getting colder. Of course the day I choose to make chili for dinner, I wake up and hear the weather man predict a high of 87 for the day. 

Whatever. 

I want chili! Maybe it will bring the cold weather back. Fake it till you make it?

Probably the greatest thing about this recipe, is that it's even better leftover. And as someone who doesn't love leftovers (but I definitely eat them - I hate throwing food away!), this is definitely a great thing!

It also makes so much that you can make multiple meals from it. You can even freeze in a Ziploc or two and freeze to have ready-made meals in the future. Score!

Ingredients:

• 2 lb. ground beef
• Six 16 oz. cans chili beans
• Three 16 oz. cans diced tomatoes
• 16 oz. macaroni noodles
• Small Onion
• Salt and Pepper
• Chili Powder
• Cumin

Ingredients

Directions:

Start by dicing the onion and tossing in a pan to brown with the ground beef. Once browned, drain the grease, and set aside.

Da meat

As your meat browns, begin boiling a pot of water to cook the macaroni noodles. I've been learning lately that this is an uncommon ingredient in chili, but if you ever do anything I suggest, do this. For real. It's awesome. I also learned this is a mid-western type chili. This was confusing to me  until I remembered that my Mamaw is originally from Indiana (moved to Tennessee many moons ago). So maybe that's why? Either way, I'm grateful. Oh, so grateful.

If your cook-top is as slow at boiling water as mine is, you can use this time to clean out the fridge. And put away laundry. If you have a gas stove, count your blessings.

Finally, my water began to boil and I dumped in my noodles. 

(Side note: as you may or may not be able to see in the picture above of the ingredients, I got two 8 oz. boxes of macaroni noodles for $.79. SEVENTY-NINE CENTS. For two. Thanks to the Publix clearance table. Thankfully I knew I was cooking them the same night that I bought them, so I didn't need to worry about the date. Score!)

As the noodles cooked, I opened all of my cans. All 9 of them. Whew!

Don't drain any of the cans! You'll want all of this yummy liquid in your chili.

When the noodles are finished cooking, drain them and put them back in your pot. Then add in your ground beef and onion mixture, and all of your cans. Stir it up!

It will take a little time for the whole pot to heat since there is so much in there. After about 5-10 minutes, begin adding and mixing in your spices. Use as much or as little as you'd like. Just keep tasting as you add. Salt and pepper, and a very hearty amount of cumin and chili powder. When you think you've added enough cumin and chili powder, add more. When you think you've added too much cumin and chili powder, add more. Keep going! Trust me. This is what makes the chili.

Adding spices. Round 1 of 3.

Mix, taste, mix, taste. 

If you aren't full by the time it heats up, then fix yourself a bowl! I like to top mine with sour cream, shredded sharp cheddar, and diced jalapeno (for a kick). 

Stop here for story time: 

So this 4th of July, I was making jalapeno poppers. Because nothing says AMERICA like jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon, #amIright?

Anyway, I was scooping out the seeds over the trash can when the worst imaginable thing happened. Jalapeno juice squirted into my eye. MY EYE.

So I run to the sink, yelling at Spencer that I got pepper juice in my eye (just because I guess). I began to splash water into my eye, and sort of rub it right on the surface of my eye ball. All of a sudden, I thought I was dying. It was then that it occurred to me...I was using my unwashed, jalapeno covered fingers and rubbed them all over my eye ball. 

I'll let you use your imagination from there. But take it from someone who's been there - WASH YOUR HANDS after handling those suckers. I'm lucky to still have 2 eyes in my head. 

Anyway...Ta Da!

I enjoyed a bowl in the living room, catching up on Monday's episode of The Voice (thanks, DVR!). And I've already packed some away in the fridge to take for lunch tomorrow. 

I can't wait for lunch...

Until next time - -