The Chili That Ruined Our Food Storage...

So, last month, in the midst of all my un-nesting, I gave up on cooking.

For about three weeks I cooked 1-2 times a week. And that's if Justin was lucky. Luckily, he's nice enough to just scrounge without telling me to go out and get a real job. Of course, maybe that's only because he doesn't have a real job either. What derelicts we are! Anyway, one Sunday I decided that since I hadn't cooked since last Sunday I would/might/maybe/possibly, cook. Of course, I hadn't been shopping lately either. So, that made the whole cooking thing a little difficult. Add to that the afore-mentioned scrounging, and I'd have to say the outlook was pretty shaky.

In the end, I decided I would cook some bake potatoes and put cheese on them. (Yes... that does count as cooking. After all, I did have to WASH them, and POKE HOLES in them - although I'm pretty sure they wouldn't really blow up if I forgot this step, and WRAP THEM in tinfoil. I even had to turn on the oven, and get out the pre-shredded cheese. This is intensive stuff, my friends. But I did it. Oh yes, I did it.)

Afterward, I went downstairs and got a can of our food storage chili so Justin could have more than baked potatoes with cheese. (I thought about chopping up green onions, but that was much too difficult.) Sadly, when I got the can upstairs both Justin and I couldn't help but look at it in disdain.

Because, my friends, that was not chili. It couldn't be. It just couldn't. And there was no way we could possibly eat it. (Unless we were starving... which is convenient since that is what food storage is for, after all.)

This is not to say this was a bad kind of chili. I purposefully didn't buy a disgusting brand. But Justin and I have been exposed to real chili now. And I'm afraid there is no going back. Needless to say, the canned chili went back downstairs. Cheese potatoes ruled the day, and rotation went out the window. Oh well. At least, we can always chuck the cans at all those people coming to steal our food storage. Waste not, want not!!!

Below is the recipe which foiled our rotation efforts (taken from "Bride & Groom: First and Forever Cookbook"- cheesy name, yes):

1 T bacon grease or veg. oil
2 med yellow onions, chopped - It looks like a lot of onion when you cut it up, but you do want it all.
3 T chopped garlic
3 T chili powder
2 T paprika
1 T cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
1 lb beef chuck
1 lb italian sausage links (removed from casings and crumbled) - This is much too difficult for me, I just buy the italian sausage that looks like hamburger meat.
2 tsp kosher salt - I use regular salt.
2 cans (28 oz each) crushed tomatoes with puree
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans (washed and drained) - I think it would be good with 2 cans, but I always forget until I'm eating it.
1 T minced canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce - I always use more. Once I used the whole can because I didn't want to waste it. Not such a good idea. But I definitely always use more than it says.

Heat the oil on medium heat.
Add onions and garlic.
Cook 8-10 minutes.
Add chili powder, paprika, cumin, and oregano. Stir.
Add meat and 1 tsp salt. Cook 8-10 minutes on medium-high heat.
Add remaining ingredients.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour.

And yes, it's probably bad for you... just like everything else I make.... ENJOY!