Five-Bean Pantry Chili

The weather's cooling off, and it's time for chili!  I've tried a lot of chili recipes, and this is the one I've come up with - some Tex-Mex heat, some Cincinnati cinnamon, and lots of tomatoes, beans, and chili powder, all from the pantry.

This makes a lot because I believe in planned leftovers (less cooking that way).   You can use the leftovers in place of the meat filling in my Mom's tamale bake.

You can serve this with cornbread, saltine crackers, cooked macaroni, cheese, or sour cream, or leave it nekkid!


Five-Bean Chili

1 lb lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cans chili-ready diced tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes and green chilis
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can Ro-Tel (hot)
1/2 c dark chili powder
1/4 c sugar
1 T hot sauce, or to taste
1 T cinnamon
1 t cumin
1 t salt
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can red beans, drained and rinsed
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

In an 8-quart stockpot, brown and break up the ground beef and onion.  Add all tomatoes and seasonings.  Bring to a boil.

Add beans and return to a boil.  Turn down heat and simmer 10 to 15 minutes.

EASY Apple Strudel

Here's the last of the Oktoberfest recipes!  Dessert!  Eat it warm.  With ice cream.  Oh my.


Apple Strudel

1 apple, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped
3 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 c brown sugar
1 c golden raisins
1/2 c sliced almonds
1 pkg frozen puff pastry, thawed
1/4 c milk
1 egg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Place apples in a large bowl.  Stir in brown sugar, raisins, and almonds.  Whisk egg and milk together.

Place puff pastry sheets on baking sheet.  Arrange apple filling lengthwise down the middle of each pastry sheet.  Fold the pastries lengthwise around the filling.  Seal by rubbing the pastry edges together with wet fingers.  Brush the top of the pastry with egg mixture.

Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown.

Hot German Potato Salad (A Microwave Recipe)

When my sister and I vacation together, we keep a lookout for German restaurants wherever we go.  We found one in Nashville, Tennessee, and one in Hot Springs, Arkansas, on our most recent trip.

Here's a quick and easy way to make traditional hot German potato salad.  This is the second Oktoberfest recipe I promised to post.  It's one of my favorites!


Hot German Potato Salad

4 potatoes, peeled and sliced
6 slices bacon, cooked, chopped, fat reserved
1/3 c flour
1/4  c sugar
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 t celery seed
1/8 t pepper
1 c water
1/2 c vinegar

Place potatoes and bacon in a shallow 2-quart baking dish.

Place bacon fat in a microwave-safe bowl.  Stir in flour, sugar, and seasonings.  Microwave 1 or 2 minutes at full power.  Stir in water and vinegar and cook at full power for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring after each minute, until mixture boils and thickens.  Remove from microwave and stir smooth.  Pour over potatoes in baking dish and stir.  Cover dish with plastic wrap, venting one corner.

Microwave at 70% power for 20 minutes.  Remove and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Old World Sauerbraten (A Slow Cooker Recipe)

It's October, and that means Oktoberfest!  I usually go a little nuts at some point in the month and make a German feast at home - sauerbraten, sweet and sour red cabbage, hot potato salad, and apple strudel.  I've already posted the red cabbage recipe here, and today is sauerbraten.  Apple strudel and hot potato salad will appear in the next couple of weeks!

This is a really easy recipe, and if you've never made sauerbraten, there is a surprise ingredient in the gravy.  Read on!


Old World Sauerbraten

3 1/2 to 4 1/2 lb beef roast, preferably rump or sirloin tip
1 large onion, sliced or chopped1 c water
1 c vinegar
2 T salt
2 T sugar
10 whole cloves
4 bay leaves
6 whole peppercorns
12 gingersnaps, crumbled

Place beef and onion in the slow cooker.  Mix together the water, vinegar, salt, and sugar and pour it over the beef and onions.  Place the cloves, bay leaves, and peppercorns in a cloth spice bag and place the bag next to the beef in the slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours.

Transfer as much of the juices as possible to a saucepan, stir in the gingersnaps  (the sauce will foam!), and bring to a boil.  Turn down and cook for about 5 minutes.

When done, remove the meat from the slow cooker, slice, and place on a serving platter.  Pour gravy over the meat.