Sunday, October 7, 2012


This week will be dedicated to comfort foods, more specifically, quick comfort foods. That means I'll be taking a lot of shortcuts, but to me, that's what comfort food entails. When you want to be cozy and warm, with one of your favorite foods, shouldn't it take the least amount of time from fridge to bowl? Exactly. Needless to say, I'm kind of leaving Engine 2 on the sidelines until MoFo is over.

This chili came together so quickly, I call it Halftime Chili, because you could make it during halftime. As long as you use already cooked or canned beans, and a chili seasoning packet, you're in and out of that kitchen pretty quick. What took time was baking the cornbread (by the way, Betty Crocker's cornbread muffin mix is vegan, but it's kind of sweet and not so good).

Halftime Chili

Halftime Chili
6-8 servings

1 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cups cooked beans, or two cans 
         I used a can of chili beans (pinto, kidney, black) and a can of garbanzos
1 14-oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes with chilies (Can I just say, "those yummy Muir Glen tomatoes?")
1 12-oz pkg burger crumbles (I used Lightlife's Smart Ground Mexican Style)
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp barbecue sauce
1 tsp liquid smoke
1 envelope chili seasoning
1 tbsp dark cocoa powder
ground chipotle (if desired), to taste
shredded vegan cheese, sour cream, scallions, cilantro to garnish

Cook onion, pepper, and garlic in oil until soft. Throw in everything else up to the chipotle, plus a splash of water and cook, stirring, for about five minutes.  Serve hot with cheese, sour cream, chopped scallions, and cilantro with a wedge of cornbread. Pop open a beer. 



Anonymous said...

prefect for game day! sounds delish!