Bhan's Famous Chili

This serves as the first of what will become a catalog of crock-and/or-one-pot wonders. You want easy clean up without sacrificing interesting flavors? Look no further.

Shared with many via email, this also marks the first public release of Bhan's Famous Chili Recipe. Let's end the intrigue. (Pssst. This also marks the first time I measured ingredients. All for you, my loyal reader.)

The damage

• Cutting board
• Chefs knife
• Saute pan
• Spatula (try wood if you haven't already)
• Crock pot
• Spoon for tasting as you go
• Ladle for serving

The chili

• 1 lb ground turkey or beef
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 28-oz can pinto beans
• 14-oz can Rotel (original flavor)
• 4-oz can green chilis (chopped)
• 28-oz can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 t Chili powder
• 1/2 t Crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 t Cayenne pepper
• 1/2 t Cumin
• 1/8 t Garlic powder (a dash will do)
• Salt and pepper

With the saute pan on medium-high heat, brown the meat, onions, garlic, and 1/8 t each of salt and pepper. While that's going, limber up your can-opening muscles and dump the contents of each canned ingredient (including, in the case of the beans, the juices) into your crock pot. Crank the temp to high. Add the remaining seasonings and cover.

Once the meat cooks thoroughly and the onions appear translucent, give it a quick taste. The meat should be yummy by itself before you add it to the crock pot. (Think delicious ground meat, not taco meat.) This helps adjust seasonings later on. If it hits the spot, add the entire contents of the skillet to the crock pot and replace the lid.

Choose your own adventure
Option 1: Eat it now. Keep crock pot on high heat; return to stir once an hour for about 2.5 hours.
Option 2: Eat it tomorrow. Prepare everything as above, but do not heat the crock pot. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, plug in your crock pot on the lowest setting and go to work. Get your healthcare IT on... or whatever it is that you do... and when you come home, it's done. Like magic.

SERVE yourself and a house full of Packer fans WITH A DOLLOP OF SOUR CREAM, A SLICE OF AVOCADO, AND A FEW CILANTRO LEAVES.

A few notes

• Keep your spices in square jars (they don't roll), with the labels facing up/out, in a container or on a rack that can move around the kitchen with you. That way they're within reach whether you're at the stove, cutting board, or... in this case... crock pot.
• For more spicy heat, increase red chili flakes and cayenne pepper. For more savory spice, add more chili powder and cumin.
• When it comes to cooking with canned ingredients, buy what's on sale. Most often, the recipe calls for doctoring up the ingredients to the point blissfully beyond recognition. Look in the ethnic foods aisle for better prices-per-ounce for many canned items.
• For browning meat, try a cast iron skillet. (Go for a 10" with sloped sides for the most versatility.) With the simple investment of a couple uses involving fatty ingredients (read: bacon) and a little maintenance know-how, a cast iron pan will last in your family forever and work for everything and quickly become a kitchen essential. Rule #1. Never use soap. A plain nylon-bristled scrub brush will do the trick. Rule #2. Never put it away wet. Water will create rust. Instead, once clean, place on a burner on high heat and set a timer for about 3 minutes. This will cause all the excess moisture to evaporate. Store in the open. (Mine hangs from a sturdy hook on the wall above the sink.)