Autumn Leaves..Sweater Weather…It’s Time for Chili!

It’s that time of year friends! The temperature is starting a nose dive, the days are getting shorter, and the leaves are beginning their spectacular show. Time to bust out those sweaters, buy a new pair of boots, and get a pot of chili bubbling on the stove!

There is nothing like a bowl of chili on a crisp fall evening but I must make a little confession. I could eat chili at any time…winter, spring, summer or fall. For me, a big bowl of chili ranks pretty high up on my comfort food list.

It is also one of the foods that I started making quite frequently and kept tweaking it until it was just right. As a young wife and working mother, chili was something I could make and we could enjoy throughout the week because as we all know…chili is so much better on the second or third day!

I experimented with a bunch of recipes and then in 2003, I stumbled across a chili recipe that I became really excited about from one of my cooking icons: Martha Stewart. The recipe came from her Everyday magazine, it was about the size of a paperback book and fit quite nicely in my purse. It was always available in the racks at the grocery store check out. The chili recipe I stumbled across in one of those early magazines truly caught my eye.

Of course, I adapted it to suit our tastes and switched up ingredients that were easily available in my local area. She called for water, I used stock. She used harissa…and well…I just omitted that! Each time I made that recipe, I added my own spin. I kept adding a bit of this and a dash of that until it became my own. The In the Curious Kitchen Chili recipe is just about perfection—and is a perennial family fave!

To keep things fun, we usually set up a chili bar with all kinds of toppings and my chili bar has become a family favorite, as well as a tailgate treasure! I typically use a variety of cheeses (cheddar, Monterey jack, and pepper jack,) sliced jalapenos, chopped onions—white or green or both, corn chips ( we prefer Fritos,) chopped fresh tomatoes, sour cream, bacon, pico de gallo, and chopped cilantro. And do not forget the crackers. I love the classic saltine or buttery classic cracker with mine. But certainly do not limit yourself to these ingredients. Get creative!

We will typically serve grilled In the Curious Kitchen Pimento Cheese sandwiches, which is my curious spin on the grilled cheese sandwiches I ate as a child with my chili.

A pot of chili simmering on the stovetop does conjure up some special memories for me. I remember walking home from elementary school with the leaves tumbling down out of the big trees that lined our street. It seemed like I could almost smell a big pot of chili simmering on the stove as I would get closer to the house. And oh how excited I would be if I opened the front door and ran into the kitchen to see Mom’s big pastel-colored Dutch oven on the stove. It meant only one thing: chili time and I could not wait for a bowl.

Steve has similar memories. His mom, Pat, made the traditional Southern-style chili with ground beef, tomatoes, and one of her trademark chili packets! Even though Steve’s family grew up in the heart of Cincinnati-chili country, he always preferred his Mom’s chili, which did not include cinnamon.

What’s your favorite chili recipe? Is it one from your childhood or something you’ve discovered through the years—or a combination? No matter which recipe you use, make a pot today. I am sure it will be delicious. Cheers to fall, y’all!

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