Lumpy Bumpy Chili

We had a chili cook-off at work a couple months back. I was excited to test my cooking skills. Most of the staff decided to take on the challenge and so now it was on.

When I hear the word chili, I think of my grandmother. My grandma was an excellent cook. She even cooked for various organizations as a job for awhile. Although she had no formal training, she could take a few simple things and make a masterpiece. She had so many great recipes in her repertoire which she kept solely in her head. Good for her, bad for the rest of us after she passed. One of her great dishes was her famous chili. It was beany and hot. It was best to eat it after it was refrigerated and still a little cold. It was just that hot, but the only way we wanted it. It tasted wonderful and it was always made with her love for us. Definitely, it was the best kind. Luckily, I spent quite a bit of my childhood with grandma, including endless hours in the kitchen. Over time, I gained some skills of my own from her. Although I never perfected her exact recipe, I have learned to alter what I did witness her do to my tastes. And over the years, I have made changes to it to create new versions of my family chili.

It was now time to up my game. It was a challenge and I have a rep to protect so to say. That's when one moment in the grocery store, shopping for chili supplies, changed my mind to create a new version of chili for my family and co-workers. Just a moment in the meat department caused the creation of Lumpy Bumpy Chili.

The day of the cook-off was busy. It was a parent-teacher conference day. There were so many crockpots plugged in the kitchen. We even had three bread makers working their magic adding to the wonderful aroma in the building. It was a little nerve-racking waiting throughout the day. I tried to watch people's reactions as they tasted to see if there was any clue as to their favorite. Even our school board members came and voted on their favorite chili. At the end of the day, after all the parents and students had left, the annoucements came. Much to my enjoyment, Lumpy Bumpy Chili was the winner! Yeah!

Well lately, the weather in Too Cold has been just that...too cold. I figured today was definitely a chili day. After eating a bowl of wonderful chili, I decided to see what other chili competitions were out there. Maybe I really had a winner. That's when I found the International Chili Society. Now, I could really test my chili. I was so wrong. After ready the rules, I learned that what I considered was chili and what they considered chili were two different things. Chili must have beans in my book and topping make it complete. So, since I can't become Internation Chili Champion, I decided to share my recipe here. I cook often by sight and taste so I don't have exact measurements. Good luck and enjoy!

Lumpy Bumpy Chili

Cut up celery, onion, green peppers, yellow peppers, red peppers. You need enough to fill 1/4 of your chili pot. Cook with some butter/margarine (I use I Can't Believe it's Not Butter.) until the onions shine and the veggies just start to get a little soft. Next, I add many cans of beans. Usually, it is 3 cans of chili beans, two cans of dark red kidney beans, two cans of light red kidney beans, and a can of any other bean I have.....usually vegetarian beans. After the beans, I add Ialian style stewed tomatoes. At least one can should have green chiles in it. The kind I get is usually sliced. Before adding them in, I squish them by hand to break them into smaller pieces. This should bring the contents of your chili pot to the half-full level. I use the tomatoe cans to add water. I fill the pot a little past 3/4 full. Next, I add my seasoning....2 chili seasoning packets (usually low sodium), garlic salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, Lawry's Seasoning Salt, basil, cumin, parsley, thyme, a couple bay leaves and chili powder. I stir it well and leave it on medium heat. Then, I use a cup of the chili liquid and begin to cook a frying pan full of some cubed chuck steak and some ground chuck. I season the meat with more Lawry's, Worcestershire Sauce, garlic salt, and a special seasoning that I put on everything called Nebraska Steak Salt, which is made and sold by the actual Mannheim Steamrollers. Don't cook it all the way. Just begin to brown it. Then, add it to the chili pot. This should bring your level to full. Let it cook on medium for a couple hours. Continue stirring every 20 minutes or so. Add more seasoning to suit your tastebuds as needed. I try not to add more seasoning until the last half hour.

While it is cooking, it is time to make the cold topping. Take a container of sour cream and a small container of french onion chip dip. Add some chives and mix well. Next, add shredded colby, montery jack, cheddar and mozzarella cheese. It should be heavy on the cheese that when you mix it, the cheese pokes out like quills in a porcupine. In this recipe, cheese is good. Keep in the refrigerator until it is time to serve.

Finally, when everything is done, remove the bay leaves from the pot and add chili to a bowl. Then, add a spoon of topping. Mix just a little, but not overly. It should look like winter has arrived in your chili, not just orange liquid. Eat with cornbread, crackers or fresh bread. Enjoy!

Stay sweet 'n smile............................Mz.