At the risk of losing any credibility I might have earned with previous posts, yes, that is The Friends Cookbook in the photo. I told you, I have a cookbook addiction, this proves it. In my defense I did peruse the book before buying, first I noticed the cast of Friends did not write this cookbook, lol (not even Monica), it was actually written by a senior writer for Cooks Illustrated, the bastion of obsessive recipe testing. Second, it was on sale…so what the heck, I took a chance and bought a copy.
I kid you not, it has been my go to source for a variety of recipes, pancakes, brownies, coffeecake and yes, chili. The recipes are fairly simple, delicious and KID FRIENDLY, a prerequisite for the last 20 years of my life. Here are 2 favorites from the book, Flirting with Firemen Chili and the link to Absolutely Best Brownies, Kid tested and approved.
Adapted from Cooking with Friends
Firehouse Chili
Kid friendly chili!
- 3 T vegetable oil
- 3 medium yellow onions chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 3 medium cloves of garlic minced
- 1.5 pounds ground beef I use a mix of beef and ground turkey or chicken 2:1
- 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes I use a 15 oz can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 15 ounce can of beef broth
- 3 T chili powder
- 1.5 t cumin
- 1/2 t oregano
- 1 t salt
- 1 15 ounce can of kidney beans or pinto beans or black beans drained and rinsed
Heat oil in large pot. Add the onions and saute over med heat until soft and transparent looking about 8 minutes. Add garlic and bell pepper and saute for additional 2-3 minutes. Stir in ground beef and cook until it loses pink color. Cook for about 4-5 minutes, breaking up the beef with a fork or spoon. Add tomatoes, broth, spices and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for approximately 2 hours until chili thickens a little. Add beans. Ladle into bowls, garnish with shredded cheese and green onions.
I add corn (frozen is fine) 1-2 cups because what kid doesn't like corn and to spice it up I will add hot sauce like Cholula which is a little sweeter than Tabasco.
