Big Batch Chili Recipes

BIG-BATCH TURKEY CHILI

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, chili powder, oregano and 4 teaspoons salt, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and chipotle chiles and sauce, and cook 1 minute more. Add the turkey, breaking it up into bite-sized chunks with a wooden spoon, and cook until the meat loses its raw color, about 7 minutes. Add the beer, and simmer until reduced by about half, about 35 minutes. Add the tomatoes, crushing them with your fingers into the skillet, along with their juices and the beans; bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thick, 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes.
• Let the soup cool to room temperature, then divide among four 1-quart containers and freeze for up to 1 month.
• To reheat: Let the soup thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Bring it to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until heated through. Thin it with a little water if desired, and add salt to taste. Serve with optional garnishes.

CHILI FOR A CROWD

Steps:

• In 8-quart Dutch oven or stockpot, cook beef and onions over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until beef is thoroughly cooked and onions are tender; drain.
• Stir in tomatoes, bean liquid, tomato sauce, chili powder, sugar and salt, breaking up tomatoes. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 1 1/4 hours.
• Stir in beans. Simmer uncovered about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until desired consistency.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Cut off the tops of bread loaves. Scoop out bread from the loaves, leaving a 1-inch thick wall. Brush the insides of the loaves with olive oil. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake about 5 minutes or until light golden brown. Place on serving plates. Spoon chili into bread bowls.

CHILLI FOR A CROWD

Steps:

• If using dried beans and not freezing the chilli, rinse and pick over the beans, then soak them overnight in plenty of water. Rinse again, and tip into a large pan with enough water to cover by 5cm and bring to the boil. Boil briskly for 10 mins, then turn down the heat and simmer gently for 30 mins or until tender. Drain and set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based lidded pan and brown the pork, then the beef, in 4 batches, scooping into a bowl as you go. Slice the bacon into strips. Add to the empty pan and cook gently to begin with, raising the heat as the bacon crisps. Scoop the bacon out of the pan, stir in the onions, garlic, celery and the bay leaves, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft but hardly coloured - about 20 mins.
• Quarter the lemons lengthways, cut out the pithy core and remove the seeds. Chop into very small pieces, each with a bit of peel. Stir the chilli powder, cumin and oregano into the onions and stir-fry for a couple of mins, then return the meat, adding the tomato purée, chopped tomatoes, lemon, wine and stock. Stir as the dish heats up, then simmer, covered, for 1 hr 30 mins. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Can be frozen at this stage for up to 1 month - defrost overnight in the fridge before continuing with the recipe.
• Add the beans to the pan - if you're using canned beans, rinse them first. Cook, uncovered, for a further 30 mins. Can be cooled at this stage and kept covered in the fridge for 24 hrs.
• Tip the soured cream into a bowl, snip the chives into small pieces then scatter them over the soured cream, cover and refrigerate until serving.
• To make the guacamole, halve the avocados lengthways, remove the stone and use a fork to mash the flesh into its shell. Scoop out into a bowl, mashing further if necessary (I like it lumpy). Add the chillies, onions and the garlic crushed to a paste with a little salt. Squeeze over the juice of 3 limes, season with black pepper and add the chopped coriander. Mix, adding extra lime juice to taste. Cover with cling film, allowing it to touch the surface. Chill until required.
• To prepare the couscous, boil the kettle and measure 750ml water into a mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice, olive oil and couscous. Stir, cover with cling film and leave to soak for 30 mins, then fluff up with a fork.
• Prepare the corn chips up to 1 hr before serving. Spread the chips on baking sheets, scatter over the cheese and place under a hot grill for 2-4 mins until molten and crusty. Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve with the chilli, couscous, guacamole, soured cream and chives and some coriander leaves sprinkled over the top, if you like.

JIM'S BIG BATCH SLOW COOKER CHILI

Steps:

• Optional Adds: 1 Green Bell Pepper chopped OR 2 Jalapeno Peppers seeded and chopped for extra added heat. Personally, I do not use either of these, but you may. You may also use 2 (14.5 oz. cans) of Hunt's Diced Tomatoes, undrained, if you like a chunkier chili. Personally, I do not use these either.
• Optional Substitution: Although the beer is utilized to give the chili a great flavoring, it is NOT to have any alcoholic content after cooking it for over 2 1/2 hours according to the USDA. If you decide to omit the 12 oz. beer for any reason, use an ADDITIONAL 14.5 oz. of Chicken Broth to take its place.
• Cook the meats in at least 2 separate batches in a Large Skillet over Med-High heat right before it crumbles. Add and mix in the finely chopped onions. When the meat crumbles and no longer is pink; drain.
• Place the meat and onion mixture in the large crock pot (slow cooker). Add the rinsed/drained light red kidney beans and the remaining ingredients.
• Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours, may stir a couple times. Since this is a Slow Cooker, it is always discouraged to use the HIGH setting... but if you must and running short on time, can be done roughly around 5 hours on HIGH.
• Remove and Discard the Bay Leaves before serving.
• Condiments and/or Sides to consider having on hand when serving: Sour Cream, Sharp Shredded Cheddar Cheese, Rice, Chopped Green Onions, Black Sliced Olives, Crackers, Limes (cut in quarters), Jalapeno Slices, Baguette Bread Sliced, Cornbread (or Jalapeno Cornbread), Salad.
• Beverage Pairing: Milk, Beer, Ripe Zinfandel, or Syrah.
• ENJOY! For whatever reason, a well-made Chili is much like Jambalaya. The leftovers, the day after, is generally better. . Maybe it takes a day for the flavors to truly fuse together.
• Directions for freezing and/or reheating portions:.
• Let Chili cool before freezing.
• Evenly divide chili into 2 (1-gallon) zip-top freezer bags (only 1 1-gallon bag needed if you are looking to freeze only half).
• Seal and lay each bag flat.
• Stack bags of chili in freezer.
• Freeze up to 1 month.
• Thaw 1 bag of frozen chili overnight in refrigerator (or defrost in microwave).
• Pour thawed chili into a 9-inch square baking dish.
• Cover tightly with heavy-duty plastic wrap, and fold back a corner to allow steam to escape.
• Microwave at HIGH 6-7 minutes or until bubbly (stirring once after 3 1/2 min mark).

AL'S BIG BATCH CHILI

Steps:

• Brown ground beef in a skillet, drain fat off.
• In a 5 quart pot, saute onion, celery, and green pepper until tender.
• Add ground beef back in pot and add tomatoes with puree. Add water.
• Add seasonings chili pepper and garlic power, onion power, salt and pepper.
• Cook 2 hours until heated though.
• Add mushrooms and kidney beans the last 30 minutes of cooking and heat though. Serve.
• Notes: You can add hot peppers to the chili if you want to, he does. You can also add crushed tomatoes without puree, it will be more like a soup. My husband just uses crushed tomatoes with juice. This above is more thicker but still good.

BIG BATCH CHILI

Steps:

• Place browned meat and next 14 ingredients in a 6 qt. slow cooker.
• Cook, covered, at high 5-6 hours or at low 6-8 hours.
• Add beans during last hour.
• Remove and discard bay leaf.
• Serve with toppings: sour cream, chopped green onions, shredded cheddar cheese, black olives