Playtime Paradox

For as long as I can remember, Fall has been my favorite season. Although Fall also signals the coming of shorter days and dreary wintry weather, for me the positives still outweigh the negatives.  I love the crispness of the air, the cooler temperatures, and the gorgeous multicolored mid-Missouri landscapes.  I also love being able to bring some favorite recipes out of summer hiatus.

A good pot of chili is one of our Fall favorites.  My husband is a professional scuba diver who owns his own scuba shop in a nearby town, so for us the first chili of the season is often associated with the dive shop’s annual Spooktacular.  Divers gather at the local quarry for an underwater pumpkin carving contest and some great food and fellowship.  

One hallmark of Spooktacular is the community chili pot, the brainchild of a good friend and dive instructor.   Last Saturday morning found me in the kitchen cooking chili for the annual event.  The weather forecasters predicted a chilly, rainy day. Although I have no idea why, on this particular Saturday I was struck by an irony of the American vocabulary.  Only a spelling variation differentiates the words we use to describe the hot, spicy food we prefer on days that are noticeably cool or cold.  (Oh the difference two little letters make!)

The community chili pot was born purely of necessity, since for many years the Spooktacular was held at a remote quarry with no access to electricity.  We needed a way to reheat chili made at home and brought onsite while preparing other dive event necessities such as hot dogs, coffee, and hot chocolate. Camp stoves proved a great solution, and combining the chili into one pot for reheating allowed sufficient burner space for all food preparation to occur at once. While the local quarry where we now gather has electrical access, outlets are limited so the camp stoves and community chili pot remain a fixture.  

Chili is one of those dishes that never turns out exactly the same each time, at least not in my kitchen.  A dear former co-worker once told me you just know chili is right by the color.  While I agree with her and have made my chili that way for years, my interest in a cooking blog led to an attempt to record a recipe.  In the case of the Spooktacular, we didn’t know for sure exactly how many people would be coming, so I opted for quantities that would feed about 30 people.  We make mild chili for Spooktacular so that everyone from eight to eighty can enjoy.  

Crowdpleaser Chili

This recipe makes two four-quart slow cookers (serves approximately 30).  Adjust as needed for smaller quantities (remember playtime can be educational – dust off those fractions!).

Ingredients:

6 pounds ground beef 
4 15-1/2 ounce cans chili beans, drained
4 15-1/2 ounce cans kidney beans, drained
2 64 ounce cans tomato juice
2 packets (1 box) dry onion soup mix
1 cup chili powder (a 2.87 ounce container) 
1/4 cup cumin 
salt to taste

Method:
Cook the ground beef in a large skillet until crumbly and no longer pink.  Divide the beef and the other ingredients between two four-quart slow cookers.  Bring the chili to a good consistent bubble and cook until the flavors are well blended.  Adjust the heat setting on the slow cookers as needed.  I had about 6 hours for my chili to cook and I was home the entire time, so I turned the slow cookers on high for about half of the cooking time, until the chili had bubbled a good while and was technically done enough to eat.  Then I turned the slow cookers down on low.   If I had been cooking this overnight or for a full day before serving, I would have used the low setting.  

Notes:  
I used 3 pounds each ground beef and ground turkey, cooked together in one skillet and then divided between the two cookers. Unless the ground beef is lean you will want to drain off the fat before adding the meat to the chili.  (You can use just ground turkey or chicken if you prefer.)

The flavor of chili improves with time.  Chili is one of those dishes that just needs to be tasted periodically during the cooking time. You can add chili powder and cumin if you want a spicier chili.  I suggest starting with small amounts and allowing some cook time between each addition until you achieve the desired flavor).

Slow cookers can vary in how “hot” they cook at a temperature selection.  I noticed that one of my cookers cooks hotter and faster on high than the other.  If you haven’t used your slow cooker much, I suggest careful monitoring of the cooking until you “learn” your specific cooker.

You could also use a large electric roaster, or a large good quality stock pot, if you have one (and have help to carry the pot if transport is required).  Check the manufacturer’s instructions (or their website) for suggested temperature settings on an electric roaster.  Our dive friend cooks his chili in a good heavy stock pot.  I have not had success with that method, but that’s most likely because I suffered severe sticker shock when I looked at stock pots a few years ago and opted for a cheaper, less heavy model that happened to match my kitchen decor.  (Turns out Mama was right when she said looks aren’t everything!)

Last but not least… one can get so excited about this chili that one forgets to include the pictures!

Crowdpleaser Chili – ready to cook!

Six pounds of ground beef, cooked together the night before for the sake of time.

Four cans of beans (two of each type) in one of the cookers.

Half the cooked meat and the spices in one of the cookers.  Add the tomato juice and mix well, then cook and enjoy!