Uncle Buzz's Chili
Lori Narlock
I love to cook at the cabin. The kitchen is small, but easy to work in. The light is always precious because of the skylight over the stove. And more than anything I love cooking at the cabin because everything tastes good.
But as much as I love cooking at the cabin, for short trips I prefer to bring simple dinners—dishes that can be prepared ahead or need little preparation.
Chili is one of those go-to recipes and this particular recipe came to my attention when my cousin Buzzy brought it over for dinner one night. We never got around to eating it that night but I warmed some up the next morning for breakfast, spooned it over fried potatoes and topped it with an egg. That's when I knew I was starting a life-long love affair with this recipe.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
8 ounces ground turkey
8 ounces ground beef
1 (1.5-ounce) packet of taco seasoning mix
1 cup water
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
3 (15-ounce) cans kidney or pinto beans
1 (6-ounce) can diced roasted green chiles
1 tablespoon dried oregano
Grated cheese, optional
Sour cream, optional
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the bell pepper, onion and garlic. Cook until the onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes.
Add the ground turkey and beef and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in the taco seasoning mix. Cook for 1 minute.
Stir in the water. Add the tomatoes, beans, chiles and oregano. Cook for 30 minutes. Serve* with grated cheese and/or sour cream.
*I like to make this ahead and freeze it in an air-tight container. It will thaw slowly and helps keep everything in the cooler cold during the drive up to the cabin.
Print the recipe here.