For those of us stationed in Chicago, Super Bowl XLVI doesn't feature too much local intrigue. Instead, Sunday will be about the parties, which are inevitably about the food. A group of my friends is using the game as an excuse to throw our second annual "Chili Con Carnival", a tournament-style chili cooking competition where everyone's a winner.
Last year, I did a Google search for chili recipes and came across a gem: FamousChiliRecipes.com's Halftime blend. Here's the basic ingredients:
3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 8 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 pounds ground chuck (you can also substitute ground chicken or ground turkey)
• 1 envelope taco seasoning or 1/4 cup taco seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 15oz can tomato sauce
• 3 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 1 6oz can tomato paste
• 2 15 to 16oz cans of kidney beans (drained)
As someone who ranks around a two out of 10 in terms of cooking ability, I can reliably tell you this is super easy. So far as "special" ingredients go? Last year, we used whiskey and bacon bits. Because, duh, those are the two best things.