Crock Pot Chili

One of our traditions is to have Chili on New Year's Eve. Normally, it is COLD...so the chili is PERFECT. It is easy to throw in the crock pot and let it cook all day until you are ready to eat. It makes a lot and is a crowd-pleaser. With all of the toppings, your guests can make it any way they want AND as hot as they want (I like my chili BLAZING hot...but others in my family think I'm crazy :)

Crock Pot Chili

This recipe is free of milk, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish

Ingredients
Wick Fowler's Chili Mix (Use 1/4 of red pepper,1/4 of paprika / do NOT use salt packet/ mix masa w/ 1/4 c. Hot water & mix in at the end to thicken if desired...but this can be omitted)

*Ingredients in Wick Fowlers Chili Mix: Chili Pepper, Masa Flour, Salt, Onion, Cumin, Paprika, Red Pepper, Oregano, Garlic.

****OR*****

Carroll Shelby's Chili Kit (Use 1/4 of cayenne pepper /do NOT use salt packet/ mix masa w/ 1/4 c. of HOT water & mix in at the end to thicken if desired...but this can be omitted)

*Ingredients in Carroll Shelby's Chili Kit: corn masa flour, ground chili peppers, salt, garlic, cumin oregano, onion, paprika, cayenne pepper
2-3 lbs. stew meat (cut into small bite size pieces) *I have found that it is easier to cut meat if it is partially frozen.
1 bunch of green onion, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 or 2 jalapeno peppers (cored & seeded) * if you want more heat, add the core in! Watch though, it can get HOT quickly! If some like it hotter, you can serve chopped jalapenos on the side.
1 green bell pepper
4 or 5 cloves garlic, pressed
1-28 oz can diced tomatoes
2-15 oz cans chili beans (OR you can use dried kidney beans and cook them according to the directions on the package if you prefer)
1 tbsp. Worcestershire (contains fish and sometimes soy...omit if needed)
pinch of sugar

salt to taste (this is optional)

Directions

Put all ingredients (except chili beans) in crock pot on low for 8 hours. Add beans the last hour. If you want your chili thicker, add the corn masa (and follow the directions on box) towards the end. *Also, I have found that cooking the chili with the lid off during the last hour, thickens it up. Serve w/ corn muffins or corn bread

Optional Toppings

avocado, diced

onions, chopped

chopped jalapeno

green onions (scallions), chopped

cilantro, coarsely chopped

Frito's Chips

Tabasco or Hot Sauce

Need a Ham Bone?

If you are wanting to make the Ham and Bean Soup, but do not have a ham bone from Christmas; did you know that you can buy a ham bone at Honeybaked Ham (which is safe) for only $5.99? (and they have a ton of ham on them...perfect for soups). I love this option, especially if you are craving some soup but do not feel like cooking or buying a ham. Thought I would pass this information along...

Click HERE to find a HoneyBaked Ham Store near you

Ham and Bean Soup

This soup makes great use of the leftover Christmas ham and is comfort food on a cold, winter's night. It is an inexpensive, healthful meal that makes a big pot, so you will have leftovers.

Ham and Bean Soup

This recipe is free of milk, eggs, soy, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish

Ingredients
1 honeybaked ham bone (or other ham bone that you have)
10-12 cups cold water
1 c. onion, chopped
1 c. celery chopped
1/2 lb. crinkle cut carrots
2-3 garlic cloves, pressed
1-28 oz can diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. cayenne
1/2 tsp.cumin
1 1/2 tsp. salt n' spice (or salt and pepper to taste)
juice of one lemon
1 - 20 oz bag HamBeens 15 bean soup


Directions
The night before soak beans according to directions. Cook Ham bone in large pot for 1-2 hrs. till ham falls off the bone. Let it cool and separate ham from fat & gristle. Chop into bite-sized pieces. Skim fat from broth (pour through fine strainer or chill and skim top off). Drain water from beans, rinse; Add 10-12 cups of cold water (depending on how thick you want it; I don't like it too thin) & ham broth to large pot with beans. Bring beans to boil, reduce heat & simmer covered for about 2 hours. After beans are done, add onion, celery, carrots, tomatoes, garlic, bay leaves, seasonings, lemon juice & HAM. Simmer for another 45-60 min. or until carrots are tender. (they take the longest to cook)

Don't have a Ham Bone? CLICK HERE

Save That Ham Bone!

If you had ham or you bought HoneyBaked Ham for Christmas...SAVE THE HAM BONE (and that extra ham of course). I have an awesome Ham and Bean soup that I am going to be posting! Stay Tuned...:)

Mint Thins

Merry Christmas! I wanted to share one more fun cookie recipe with you before you are sick of looking at cookies :) These will remind you of those yummy mint Girl Scout cookies. They are super easy to make and the are really good.

Mint Thins

This recipe is free of milk, eggs, soy, tree nuts, peanuts, fish and shellfish

*Could be wheat free if you used the right cracker

Ingredients

1 10 oz bag of Enjoy Life semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

about 36 crackers (I love Back to Nature Classic Rounds because they do not have trans fat or other junk in them..BUT they do have wheat...so you can pick your favorite wheat free cracker to substitute for this recipe).

1 safe peppermint candy cane (or dinner mints) crushed

Directions

Microwave chocolate in a small microwaveable bowl. Make sure to do it a little at a time, so you do not burn the chocolate. Stir until completely melted. Blend in extract.

Dip crackers in melted chocolate, completely coating crackers (I gently set one side in the chocolate, and then flip it over into the chocolate). Place on waxed paper covered baking sheets; sprinkle with safe crushed candy.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until chocolate is firm

Baked Beans

We are busy in the kitchen making all of our food for an early Christmas Eve. Baked beans might be a weird combination for most to have with Christmas dinner, but our tradition is to have the Honeybaked Ham, baked beans, pasta salad, my grandmother's potato salad (which is FULL of allergens), tons of appetizers, lots of sweets, Rudolph Slush and Apple Cider. We do not do a fancy sit down dinner, we just grab plates, fill them up and continue to pick and eat throughout the night (since we do our activities on Christmas Eve). On Christmas day, we open stockings and have all of the leftovers...which is great....one day of cooking, and the next day you are off. Hope your holiday cooking is going GREAT!

Baked Beans

This recipe is free of milk, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish

3 31 oz cans of beans or you need about 90 oz beans

*I sometimes use Bush's Vegetarian beans

2/3 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup molasses (Grandma's molasses unsulphured original is Gluten Free)

2 Tbsp Worcestershire (this contains fish..so just omit if you need to)

1 large yellow onion, chopped

a squirt or two of ketchup

* optional: you can put a 3 slices of bacon on top



*just half recipe if you want to make an 8x8 pan of beans



Combine all ingredients, and put in a 13x9 pan. Lay bacon on top (if using) and bake at 325 for 1 hour.

Questions about Honeybaked Ham

Wow...the Safe Honeybaked Ham post is popular! I got a question from a reader asking about the ingredient in the ham, Sodium Lactate. I agree, that initially it looks like it might be from milk. BUT, after a little research with Honeybaked Ham Company AND better yet, FAAN (Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network) I found out that Sodium Lactate DOES NOT contain milk protein and need not be restricted by someone avoiding milk. Ok...so go buy your Safe Honeybaked Ham!!! :)