Chili, Team-Fahs Style

Chili Team-Fahs Style

This makes a HUGE crock pot with plenty for dinner plus leftovers – After all, we’re cooking for 6! 

What you need:

1 large onion, diced (or more if you’d like)

1 pound lean ground beef

1 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed

1 28 oz. can of Bush’s Baked Beans – choose your favorite flavor (I like Country Style and Onion.)

3 10-oz. cans Rotel or 2 14.5 oz. cans of diced tomatoes with green chiles

1 14 oz. can dark red kidney beans (You can choose just the light or dark red kidney beans if you don’t like a lot of beans in your chili)

1 14 oz. can light red kidney beans

1 14.5 oz. can of tomato sauce

4 or more tablespoons of chili powder – depending on your taste

Crushed red pepper for kick (if you’d like)

Fixin’s  (To me, chili is just a vehicle for fixin’s!)

White rice (We love our chili over rice!)

Scallions/green onions or diced onions

Shredded cheddar cheese

Sour cream

Cilantro (If you haven’t tried cilantro on your chili, please do!)

Diced jalapenos (Optional, of course, but so good!)

Fritos, if you’re really in the mood for a fun chili!

What you need to do:

1. Saute the onion in olive or canola oil, then add in the ground beef and sausage to brown.  Drain well.

2. Add all the cans of stuff!  You can simply add the cans of stuff to the meat in a deep pot, or you can transfer everything to a crock pot.

3. Add the chili powder and crushed red pepper, if you’re using it.

4. Heat to boiling, then simmer on low for half an hour or so, or cook in your crock pot until it’s piping hot – 4 hours on low, 6 or so hours on high.

5. Enjoy!

Opa's Rock Cakes

These are the traditional Swiss Christmas cookies, from Tante Lulu's recipe and converted to American measures.

2 sticks + 2 1/2 Tbsp. butter
1 C. sugar
2 eggs
4 oz. raisins (both dark and golden)
4 oz. Korinthen (dried currants)
Candied fruit, to taste and by eye

3 1/2 C. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
Dash salt

In the Kitchen Aid, whip the butter creamy. Add the other ingredients, with the flour/baking powder mix added last. The dough should be very stiff.

Use a teaspoon to make little piles, looking jagged like broken rock. Place on a buttered baking sheet and bake at 350-400 degrees. The heat should be high enough to quickly bake the outside in order to preserve the shape of the cookies without letting the dough flow into flat cookies. Dust with powdered sugar while still slightly warm.

Nanny's Cranberry Salad

1 package raspberry jello
1 cup water
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1 chopped apple
chopped nuts
chopped celery

Dissolve the jello in the water. Add other ingredients, stir, and pour into square glass pan. Chill until set.

Sausage Dip

I can't believe this recipe hasn't already been posted!  My sister called me, having lost her copy of this old recipe from my friend Ken's family, acquired many years ago as an alternative to the sometimes-just-too-darn-artificially-cheesey Rotel and Velveeta Dip.  Kim has been known to replace half the cream cheese with Velveeta, skipping the mayo.

1 package Jimmy Dean, browned with onion and drained
2 blocks cream cheese
2 cans Rotel tomatoes
2-3 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tsp. garlic salt
salt and pepper to taste

Heat together above ingredients.  Garnish with fresh tomatoes and green onions, if desired.

Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.

Janet's Broccoli Grape Salad

This recipe is from my friend Janet.  I always double it when I make it for my family, and triple or quadruple it when I take it somewhere.  There's never any left.

1 bunch broccoli, cut up (peeled stalks, too!)
1 bunch green onion, chopped with a few tops
     (You can use a little white onion chopped very fine.)
3-4 C. seedless red grapes, halved
     (You can use Craisins or leave these out entirely.)
3 Tbsp. cooked, chopped bacon (opt.)
1/4 C. toasted sliced almonds
      (350 degrees for 3 minutes)

Dressing:
1 C. mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip!)
1/3 C. sugar
1 Tbsp. vinegar
      (apple cider, white wine, or rice vinegar are nice)

Put dressing and almonds on salad just before serving.

This has become a holiday favorite around here, usually as a side with the Popeye's chicken and biscuits that my in-laws bring on their way into town before any holiday gathering.  

Dot's Vermont Maple Cookies

As served by Dot at our ladies' Bible study...

1/2 C. shortening (can substitute butter or lard)
1 1/2 C. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 C. sour cream
1 Tbsp. maple flavoring
2 3/4 C. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 C. nuts

Mix shortening, sugar, and eggs thoroughly.  Stir in sour cream and maple flavoring.  Add flour, baking soda, salt, and nuts.

Bake 374 degrees for 10 minutes.  Top with maple frosting.

Maple Frosting

1/2 C. melted butter
2 C. powdered sugar
2 tsp. maple flavoring
Add 2-4 Tbsp. hot water

Dot's Upside-Down Berry French Toast

We had this at a brunch at my friend Dot's house.  She had modified it significantly, and I've modified it further.  Here's the recipe as originally written.

5 eggs
3/4 C. milk
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1 loaf French bread, sliced into thick slices
frozen berries
sliced bananas
1 C. sugar (I only use about 1/3-1/2 C.)
1 Tbsp. apple pie spice (opt.)
cinnamon sugar

Combine eggs, milk, baking powder, and vanilla.  Place bread in shallow dish and pour egg mixture over bread.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Combine strawberries, bananas, sugar, and spice.  (Any fruit will do.  Dot used frozen mixed berries and less sugar.  I use a lot less sugar.)

Spoon fruit mixture in bottom of large, greased baking dish.  Place bread in a single layer over fruit.  Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and bake 20-25 minutes.  Makes 8 servings.

NOTE: Dot spooned this out to serve it, but I like to dump it over and serve it like upside-down cake.  Yum!

Dot's Zesty Carrots

I have not actually eaten these yet, but several people have asked my friend Dot for this recipe, including many who don't normally like cooked carrots at all. I figured I'd post it here and give it a try.

(Note: we did make these, and they are yummy!)

Pour mixture of the following over lightly cooked carrots:

1/2 C. mayonnaise
1/4 C. water (use cooking water from carrots)
3 Tbsp. grated onion
3 Tbsp. horseradish
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Top with croutons or 1/4 C. bread crumbs and 1 Tbsp. butter.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Alfredo Sauce

This recipe is from a knock-off Olive Garden recipe site.  It is delicious!

1 stick butter
2 Tbsp. cream cheese
1 pt. heavy cream
1/2-3/4 C. parmesan cheese
1 tsp. garlic powder

Melt butter.  Add cream cheese, soften.  Add cream.  Simmer 15-20 minutes on low.  Season with SPG (salt/pepper/garlic salt).

NOTE: I've made this without cream cheese in the past and it still works fine. I do add some nutmeg.


Patti's Alfredo Sauce

This is a version a friend who is a great cook gave me years ago.  I forgot I had it until a cousin just called asking for it.  I had given it to her about twenty years ago, and she's lost hers.  I assume it is good, because everything Patti makes is delicious!

2 Tbsp. butter
3/4 C. cream
1/2 C. parmesan cheese
freshly grated nutmeg
salt and freshly ground pepper

While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a large skillet.  Add cream and 1/4 C. cheese.  Simmer over very low heat 4-5 minutes until sauce starts to thicken.   Drain cooked pasta well (8 oz. dried or 12 oz. frehs) and add to skillet.  Lift and stir to combine all ingredients and coat the pasta.  Add remaining cheese, nutmeg, salt, and a generous grinding of black pepper.


Apparently I extrapolated to a large quantity at some point with the following measurements:
1 stick butter
3 C. cream
2 C. parmesan

Rita's Mom's "Homemade" Salsa

2 cans petite diced tomatoes
1 large jar Pace Picante sauce, medium or hot
1/2 - 1 onion, finely chopped
fresh cilantro to taste