Maple Chili

It's that time of year again. Maple sugaring season! One of my family's favourite things to do when the sap starts running is to attend the NYS Maple Weekend activities.

We first began attending Maple Weekend while living in Lewis County (Home of the NYS Maple Museum in Croghan). Sugar houses were few and far between in Chautauqua County that we didn't go to any while we were there. Since moving to the Capital District we have gone west to Fulton and Montgomery Counties and East to Washington County where from the driveway of one sugar house we were almost a stone's throw to Vermont. New York State syrup is better.

While in Fulton County we had the delight to have some Maple Chili fresh from the crockpot. This has quickly turned into one of our family favourites. Another favourite is my Quick Chili that I threw together after being told by our cheerleader that she signed me up to bring chili to the high school football game (that started in two hours). A variation of this has more ingredients and delicious flavour. One of the thousand ways I know how to cook chicken is this delicious White Chicken Chili. The last, but not least, favourite is the healthy version that we got from my hiking buddy.

      Maple Chili

Ingredients:

        1 lb. Ground Beef

        1 large Chopped Onion

        2 cans Cream of Tomato Soup

        16 oz.can Kidney Keans

        (2) 14 oz. cans Diced Tomatoes

        1/3 c. pure NYS Maple Syrup

        2 tsp Salt

        ½ tsp Pepper

        1 Tbs Chili Powder

Directions:

1. Brown together the ground beef and onion in a soup pot. 
2. Add the rest of the ingredients 
3. Simmer together for two hours or cook all day in a CrockPot.
4. Serve with these corn muffins.

Enjoy!

            Ingrid

Mississippi Burger

Everyone that knows me knows that I absolutely love Mississippi Pot Roast. It is the best  pot roast you could ever eat. I'm linking my post for that amazing dish here. Guess what! This recipe is for it's portable version - Mississippi Burger! This is so similar and packed with flavour.

Mississippi Burgers

Burgers:

Ingredients:

        1 lb Ground Beef for 4 burgers
        1 Tbs Ranch Seasoning
        1 Tbs Aus Jus (I use my own recipe, see bottom of page)

        1 Tbs Pepperoncini Juice

Directions:

1. Mix ingredients together.
2. Form into patties with greased form or by hand. 
3. Cook to desired wellness. 140° for Medium.
4. Top with pepperoncini and pepper jack on toasted brioche bun (we used a  Colby and Monterey Jack blend on potato buns this go around).

Spicy Mayo:

Ingredients:

        

        1/4 C Mayo

        1 tsp Pepperoncini Juice
        1/4 tsp Black Pepper

Directions: 

1. Whisk until combined

Buns:

Directions:

1. Toast buns on griddle
2. Smear  mayo on buns. 

Notes:

• -Best with sweet potato fries, but that's up to you which fries you prefer.
• -Do not add any other condiments. It's perfect the way it and other condiments will distract from the overall taste.

Fries:

Ingredients for seasoning:

        2 Tbs Olive Oil
        1 tsp Garlic Powder
        1 tsp Smoked Paprika
        1 tsp Salt
        1/2 tsp Dried Parsley

Directions:

1. Toss together.
2. Spray fryer with cooking spray.
3. Preheat air fryer at 400°.
4. Slice sweet potatoes into fries.
5. Cook for 12 minutes, shake after 8 minutes. 

Aus Jus:

Ingredients:

        12 Beef Bouillon Cubes (or 4 Tbls granules)

        4 Tbs Cornstarch
        4 tsp Onion Powder
        2 tsp Parsley
        1/4 tsp Black Pepper
        1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

Directions:

1. Blend all ingredients in blender for 30 seconds until completely ground, and combined.
2. Store in airtight container or Ziploc bag.

To Make Au Jus:

1. Measure 4 1/2 tsp into a small saucepan.
2. Whisk with 2 C Water over medium heat 15 minutes until bubbly, and thickened.

To Use As Seasoning:

1. Measure 4 1/2 tsp to equal 1 package Au Jus mix.

Enjoy!

            Ingrid

Delicious Quick Chili Variation

We had a cooler snap after a wonderful rainfall so I decided to take the opportunity to make chili. Okay, so maybe it was more like I defrosted ground beef and forgot to do anything with it until it was almost time for people to come home.

I was thinking about chili but decided to try something different. The family seemed happy with the change. This one wasn't far off from the family favourite but had a few modifications done to it. Check out our other favourite chili recipes, like a healthier version, Maple Chili with added sweetness, and White Chicken Chili for a lighter take on the dish.

Quick Chili Variation

Ingredients:

        2 lbs Ground Beef

        1 Onion, finely diced

        3 Cloves Garlic, minced

        3 (14.5oz) cans Diced Tomatoes

        1 (15oz) can Kidney Beans

        1 (15oz) can Pinto Beans

        1 can Green Chili Peppers

        1 (8oz) can Tomato Sauce

        1 cup Water

        2 Tbs Chili Powder

        2 Tbs White Sugar

        1 Tbs Ground Cumin

        1 Tbs Salt

        1 Tbs Hot Pepper Sauce

        1 tsp Ground Black Pepper

Directions:

1. Cook and stir ground beef until browned and crumbly. Drain.
2. Add onion and garlic to beef and cook until onion is translucent.
3. Add remaining ingredients.
4. Simmer for 30 minutes until done.
5. Sprinkle with Shredded Cheddar.
6. Serve with Corn Muffins.

Enjoy!

            Ingrid

Quick Chili

This family favourite came about during a moment of panic. I was told that my daughter had signed me up to bring chili to the high school football game. And I needed to bring it in within one hour! I threw together some ingredients and it became a hit!  Afterward, I was asked to bring this every home game. Feel free to try some of our other favourite chili recipes. We have a variation of this one, a healthy version, a sweet maple chili and a delicious white chicken chili.

Quick Chili

Ingredients:

        2 lbs Ground Beef

        1 Onion, finely chopped

        3 Cloves Garlic, Minced

        1 cup Diced Tomatoes

        8 oz Tomato Sauce

        1 cup Water

        1 can Kidney Beans

        1 can Pinto Beans

        2 Tbs Chili Powder

        2 Tbs Sugar

        1 Tbs Hot Sauce

        1 Tbs Ground Cumin

        1 Tbs Salt

        1 tsp Pepper

        Shredded Cheddar

Directions:

1. Lightly brown ground beef, drain if necessary.
2. Add onion and garlic, cook until onion is translucent.
3. Add remaining ingredients.
4. Simmer for 30 minutes until done.
5. Sprinkle with Shredded Cheddar.
6. Serve with Corn Muffins

Enjoy!

            Ingrid