Chicken Apple and Andouille Sausage Chili

In my home, when the dad goes away the beans come out and play.

My mother and I love beans, but dad is very anti. Like, I can’t serve them in anything. Ever.

As soon as we know he will be away, Mom and I start plotting what bean dishes we will be having in his absence.

Chili is always first on our list.

I wanted to create a chili that was hearty but also had a tangy sweetness about it that wasn’t quite expected. A Springy chili, if there is such a thing.

Luckily for my taste buds, Dad will be traveling a lot more due to landing his dream job.

Go Dad! And go beans!

You will need…

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 ½ lb chicken apple sausage, casings removed

1 ½ lb andouille sausage, casings removed

2 medium onions, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

6 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoon chili powder

2 tablespoons paprika

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes

2 16-ounce cans kidney beans, drained

2 cups water

Salt to taste

In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil until hot. Add in the sausage and cook over high heat, breaking it up as it cooks. Cook until browned about 15 minutes.

Add in the garlic, bell pepper and onions and season with salt. Cook down, stirring occasionally until the onions are translucent. About 8 minutes.

Add in the tomato paste and cook another 3 minutes.

Add in the chili powder, paprika, cumin and oregano and cook for 1 more minute, stirring in all the spices.

Then, add in the tomatoes, beans and water.

Lower the heat just until the chili is simmering slowly.

Cook down until thickened, about 1 hour. Season with salt and serve hot with your favorite chili garnishes.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Chicken Apple and Andouille Sausage Chili

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 ½ lb chicken apple sausage, casings removed

1 ½ lb andouille sausage, casings removed

2 medium onions, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

6 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoon chili powder

2 tablespoons paprika

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes

2 16-ounce cans kidney beans, drained

2 cups water

Salt to taste

In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil until hot. Add in the sausage and cook over high heat, breaking it up as it cooks. Cook until browned about 15 minutes.

Add in the garlic, bell pepper and onions and season with salt. Cook down, stirring occasionally until the onions are translucent. About 8 minutes.

Add in the tomato paste and cook another 3 minutes.

Add in the chili powder, paprika, cumin and oregano and cook for 1 more minute, stirring in all the spices.

Then, add in the tomatoes, beans and water.

Lower the heat just until the chili is simmering slowly.

Cook down until thickened, about 1 hour. Season with salt and serve hot with your favorite chili garnishes.

Filet Mignon Pot Pie

So tomorrow, I’m having a minor medical procedure done.

Yes my friends, my family is finally taking me in for that lobotomy.

I kid. I kid.

It really is nothing and it is completely routine, but I have to be put under with anesthesia.

Even though I have had a few other surgeries so I know what it’s like, it is always a little scary to have your life in other people’s hands.

But the scariest part to me is that my surgery isn’t till three in the afternoon.

And you can’t eat or drink anything for eight hours beforehand.

I am going to be awake and unable to eat anything for EIGHT hours. EIGHT.

If I could trade being poked with hot pokers for not eating for eight hours, I would.

Well maybe not hot pokers, but it’s still really bad.

So I decided to have an awesome last meal tonight.

And if this isn’t last meal worthy, I have no idea what is.

You will need…

1 lb filet mignon, cubed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 large carrot, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 celery stalk, diced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon tomato paste

3 cups beef broth

2 small russet potatoes, peeled and diced

1 ½ cup chopped Portobello mushrooms, chopped

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 pack frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium pot, heat the oil over medium heat until it is very hot, but not smoking.

Add the filet to the pot and season it well with salt and pepper.

Cook the meat until it is browned on all sides. About 6 to 8 minutes.

Remove the beef to a plate, cover and set aside.

Into the pot you just used, add in the onions, garlic, thyme, carrots and celery. Cook over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent, stirring occasionally.

Add in the tomato paste and stir until all the veggies are coated and cook for 1 minute.

Stir in the beef broth, potatoes, mushrooms and the bay leaf.

While you bring the liquid to a very low simmer, mix together the flour and butter in a bowl it creates a paste.

Add the butter and flour mixture to the pot.

Add the meat back into the pot and continue to simmer, covered for about 30 to 45 minutes, stirring often. Make sure that you don’t cook so long that you run out of liquid. You do want it to still be a little saucy.

While your beef is simmering, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and lay out your thawed puff pastry.

When the filet is very tender and your potatoes are cooked through, pour the filling into a large dish or individual dishes.

Use your puff pastry to completely cover the dish you are cooking your pie in.

Whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon water and brush the mixture over the top of the puff pastry.

Pop the pies in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

Remove from the oven and let cook for about 5 minutes.

Serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Filet Mignon Pot Pie

1 lb filet mignon, cubed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 large carrot, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 celery stalk, diced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon tomato paste

3 cups beef broth

2 small russet potatoes, peeled and diced

1 ½ cup chopped Portobello mushrooms, chopped

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 pack frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium pot, heat the oil over medium heat until it is very hot, but not smoking.

Add the filet to the pot and season it well with salt and pepper.

Cook the meat until it is browned on all sides. About 6 to 8 minutes.

Remove the beef to a plate, cover and set aside.

Into the pot you just used, add in the onions, garlic, thyme, carrots and celery. Cook over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent, stirring occasionally.

Add in the tomato paste and stir until all the veggies are coated and cook for 1 minute.

Stir in the beef broth, potatoes, mushrooms and the bay leaf.

While you bring the liquid to a very low simmer, mix together the flour and butter in a bowl it creates a paste.

Add the butter and flour mixture to the pot.

Add the meat back into the pot and continue to simmer, covered for about 30 to 45 minutes, stirring often. Make sure that you don’t cook so long that you run out of liquid. You do want it to still be a little saucy.

While your beef is simmering, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and lay out your thawed puff pastry.

When the filet is very tender and your potatoes are cooked through, pour the filling into a large dish or individual dishes.

Use your puff pastry to completely cover the dish you are cooking your pie in.

Whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon water and brush the mixture over the top of the puff pastry.

Pop the pies in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

Remove from the oven and let cook for about 5 minutes.

Serve hot.

Three Cheese and Bacon Mac'N'Cheese

There are two types of people in this world.

Those who like the crunchy parts and those who like the ooey gooey parts.

Of mac’n’cheese that is.

Not sure what else that could have been construed as, but I’m sure someone out there somehow made it dirty. Gross.

Unfortunately I had to make the crunchy versus cheesy discovery the hard way.

My friends Mckenna and David requested a mac’n’cheese dish last week and of course I hopped right to it.

Partially because I love when people request things for the blog and partially because then I don’t have to think of anything to make.

Yesterday I scoured WAY too many recipes and decided to take what I liked about a couple of them and go it alone.

Just for kicks, go ahead and Google macaroni and cheese recipe and see how many things pop up.

Apparently a majority of this country is eating nothing but macaroni and cheese.

Now I happen to be a cheesy gooey mac lover. So instead of making my cheesy goodness in a long casserole dish, I made it in a deep, circular dish.

Less crunchy top, more gooey center.

Stoked.

Until dinner time came around, and I presented my mac in all its glory.

I was disappointed to realize that everyone at the table who wasn’t named Angela was longing for that crunch top.

Whoops.

The lack of crunch top resulted in one of the people at the dinner table, cough, not Wes or my dad, cough, stabbing at people with a fork when they were going for the crunchy top instead of the cheesy center.

Luckily no one was harmed in the crunch guarding, but it was a close call.

So consider this a chef’s note. If you like the crunchy top, make this in a large 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. If you like the ooey gooey, go ahead and make this in a deep circular dish similar to the one I used.

You will need…

7 tablespoons of butter, divided (into 4, 2 and 1 tablespoons)

4 tablespoons flour

2 cups half and half

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon your favorite hot sauce

8 ounces grated pecorino romano cheese

1 pound pasta shells (I used whole wheat so I didn't feel like this was the most unhealthy thing I've ever made)

3 garlic cloves minced

2 pieces of chopped cooked bacon (whatever your favorite is)

8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese

4 ounces grated gruyere cheese

¼ cup fresh breadcrumbs (I like to make mine from yummy croutons)

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F.

While the oven is heating, fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Cook your pasta to the package specifications once the water has boiled. Go ahead and start your cheese sauce while the water is boiling and pasta is cooking because this takes some time.

When the pasta is just barely cooked (slightly undercooked even) drain the water and add the pasta back into the pot.

While you are waiting for the water to boil/pasta to cook, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over low heat in a heavy, medium sauce pan.

When the butter has melted, add the flour and stir to combine.

Cook the mixture, stirring constantly for 3 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium and whisk in the half and half little by little.

Cook until the mixture has thickened.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the salt, pepper, hot sauce and half of the grated pecorino.

Stir until the cheese is melted and the béchamel sauce is smooth.

By now, your pasta should be finished.

Add it back into the pot you cooked it in and add in 2 tablespoons butter, garlic and your bacon and stir to combine.

Then add in your béchamel sauce and stir until well combined.

Use the last of the butter to grease your baking dish of choice.

In a large bowl, combine all of your remaining cheese and make sure it is mixed well.

Then, place 1/3 of the pasta in the bottom of the pepared baking dish.

Top with 1/3 of the mixed cheese.

Repeat the process twice more.

Finally top the dish off with your bread crumbs.

Bake the mac for 40-45 minutes, or until the pasta and cheese is bubbly and hot and the top is golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Serve and try not to fight over who gets what.

No one needs to get hurt over dinner.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Three Cheese and Bacon Mac'N'Cheese

7 tablespoons of butter, divided (into 4, 2 and 1 tablespoons)

4 tablespoons flour

2 cups half and half

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon your favorite hot sauce

8 ounces grated pecorino romano cheese

1 pound pasta shells

3 garlic cloves minced

2 pieces of chopped cooked bacon (whatever your favorite is)

8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese

4 ounces grated gruyere cheese

¼ cup fresh breadcrumbs (I like to make mine from yummy croutons)

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F.

While the oven is heating, fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Cook your pasta to the package specifications once the water has boiled. Go ahead and start your cheese sauce while the water is boiling and pasta is cooking because this takes some time.

When the pasta is just barely cooked (slightly undercooked even) drain the water and add the pasta back into the pot.

While you are waiting for the water to boil/pasta to cook, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over low heat in a heavy, medium sauce pan.

When the butter has melted, add the flour and stir to combine.

Cook the mixture, stirring constantly for 3 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium and whisk in the half and half little by little.

Cook until the mixture has thickened.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the salt, pepper, hot sauce and half of the grated pecorino.

Stir until the cheese is melted and the béchamel sauce is smooth.

By now, your pasta should be finished.

Add it back into the pot you cooked it in and add in 2 tablespoons butter, garlic and your bacon and stir to combine.

Then add in your béchamel sauce and stir until well combined.

Use the last of the butter to grease your baking dish of choice.

In a large bowl, combine all of your remaining cheese and make sure it is mixed well.

Then, place 1/3 of the pasta in the bottom of the pepared baking dish.

Top with 1/3 of the mixed cheese.

Repeat the process twice more.

Finally top the dish off with your bread crumbs.

Bake the mac for 40-45 minutes, or until the pasta and cheese is bubbly and hot and the top is golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.