Flatlander Chili

Got this recipe from my mom (a flatlander! Ha!), who got it from this website.

Very good - serve as soup, over rice, with cornbread, or over mac (and cheese!) noodles.

Flatlander Chili

Ready In 1 h 45 m

Ingredients

2 pounds lean ground beef
1 (46 fluid ounce) can tomato juice
1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 cups canned red beans, drained and rinsed (I usually use more beans, and do black and pinto instead)

Directions

Place ground beef in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and set aside.

Add all ingredients to a large kettle. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

West African Sweet Potato Supper

Another amazing recipe from the incredible Holly Z.
She made this one for us while we spent a weekend, along with Carina and Nanuq, at Black Bear Ridge in the Catskills.

She was kind & generous to make this for us, and then later to share the recipe.
I've made it once already, and it is SO good.

West African Sweet Potato Supper

1 T vegetable oil
1 medium onion, sliced and separated into rings
1/4 c creamy peanut butter
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne
3 large sweet potatoes peeled and cut into cubes (to make peeling easier, microwave for 2 minutes)
2 cans diced tomato with garlic, undrained
1 can great northern beans undrained
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
Couscous, rice or cooked grain for serving

In large pot heat oil and cook onion until slightly softened and translucent.
Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium and cook 20-25 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender.
Serve with couscous or rice.

A note from Holly:
I know that in the past someone in my family has made this in a slow cooker without a problem. I think you just dump everything in and cook it until the sweet potatoes are soft. The beans will probably get extra broken down but it shouldn't affect the taste. You could reserve the beans and add them in like an hour before it's done if you were concerned at all about that. If you're reserving the beans (and if you're making it in the slow cooker at all) it may need a little more liquid. I didn't any any water when cooking it on the stove, but feel free to throw some in if you think it looks too dry. when I reheat I do usually add a little water to loosen it up. I don't really know about the slow cooker timing, maybe 4-5 hours on low? It's pretty forgiving about over cooking as long as you don't mind a soft texture.

Cheesy Ham-and-Eggs Breakfast Casserole

Cheesy Ham-and-Eggs Casserole

Ingredients

1 (5-oz) pkg cheese and garlic croutons
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 cups chopped cooked ham
2½ cups half-and-half
10 large eggs
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper

Instructions

Sprinkle croutons into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Top with both cheeses and ham.

Whisk together half-and-half, eggs, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Slowly pour over ham in baking dish. Cover and chill overnight.

Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F.

Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until center is puffed and set. Let stand 10 minutes.

Slow-cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

Original recipe here.

Slow-cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs, as I used)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8 cups chicken stock (I used water, reduced to 7 cups, and added 7 boullion cubes)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 bay leaves
8 ounces spaghetti, broken into thirds
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley


DIRECTIONS:

Season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Place chicken into a 6-qt slow cooker.

Stir in chicken stock, garlic, onion, carrots, celery, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours.

Remove chicken from the slow cooker and shred, using two forks.

Stir pasta and chicken into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat for an additional 30-40 minutes, or until pasta is tender.

Stir in lemon juice and parsley.
Serve immediately.

17 Bean Soup (with modifications)

I was inspired by my kids' love of beans (and thriftiness!) to make a large pot of bean soup.
I found the original recipe here, and made my own adjustments.

17 Bean Soup

1 lb. of beans ( I used 17 Bean Soup mix)
64 oz of vegetable or chicken stock (I used water ((which I reduced)) & chicken bouillon cubes)
1 large onion – chopped
4 stalks of celery – chopped
4 carrots – chopped
1 green or red bell pepper – chopped (instead I used a whole bag of frozen pepper & onion blend)
1 tsp. dried basil
4 cloves garlic – crushed or chopped
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning (I just threw in a bunch of dried oregano & parsley)
1 can/jar of chopped tomatoes (diced, Italian-spiced - garlic & basil)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

I sometimes add a hunk of boneless pork shoulder, smoked ham hocks, or neck bone.
One could also add barley to this mix, as the original suggests.

Directions: Here's where I really improvised.
Soak beans overnight (or a couple days - just remember to rinse each day).
Throw everything in the slow cooker! Add ham halfway through.
Serve topped with shredded cheddar. Or with cornbread.

Result?  A meal where both my girls kept saying, "Yum! Mmm!"

InstantPot variation: Add all ingredients (including unsoaked beans), pressure-cook on High, 40 min, with 15 min slow-release. 

Chicken Tagine With Apricots and Pistachios

Original recipe here.

Makes 8
Hands-On Time 15 min
Total Time 40 min

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
½ tablespoon kosher salt
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-in. pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
2 cups cherry tomatoes
8 halved apricots, or 3 cups halved dried apricots
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Cooked quinoa, chopped fresh parsley, and roasted, salted pistachios, for serving

DIRECTIONS

Mix the cumin, ginger, coriander, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium high. Add the chicken and cook until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

Add the onions to the pot along with 2 tablespoons of water. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Return the chicken to the pot along with the canned tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, apricots, and broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve over the quinoa, topped with the parsley and pistachios.

How to Freeze and Reheat:
Cool the stew completely. Pour it into gallon-size freezer bags (separate from the quinoa), filling each halfway. Stack the bags in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes. Reheat in a pot over medium until warmed through, 8 to 10 minutes.