Chili attempt No. 2

Since my first batch of Chili turned out so well, the following weekend I went for Chili attempt number 2. This time I decided I liked could stand beans well enough and I wanted to try a chicken chili recipe. The first Chili turned out so spicy and wonderful with the beer, I was sure this one would as well.

I was wrong.

Well let me clarify. As I mentioned before Dan is really the beer connoisseur in this relationship and I tend to like lighter beers that are not so *hoppy. Basically, I wasn't thinking or just didn't know what I was doing and I used Flat 12 Half Cycle IPA beer. I kept trying and trying the soup and I just thought it tasted funky. Turns out the beer taste just stuck around and I'm not fond of that *hoppy(ness).  Dan didn't mind the taste and I just added extra salsa to kick it up and drown out the beer taste.

SO, rest assured this is a GREAT recipe. Word to the wise... use a light beer such as a Miller Lite and you'll be fine!!

White Chicken Chili 
Ingredients:
1 small onion
3 stalks of celery
1 Tbsp butter
1 "picked" rotisserie chicken
1 package of white chicken chili mix
1 12oz (preferably light) beer
4 cans of Great Northern Beans
3 cans of green chilis
4-6 cups of water depending on thickness desired.

Toppings:  avocado, salsa, sour cream and shredded cheese.

Directions: 
Pick your chicken. Set aside pieces in a bowl. Chop and saute onion and celery in butter in a large soup pot. Add chicken, chili mix, beer, beans, chili's and water. Cook until desired temperature.

Enjoy!!

Soup is red due to all the salsa I added. :) 

**Hops - The dried blossom of the female hop plant, which is a climbing herb (Humulus lupulus). Hops closest relative is the cannabis plant from which marijuana is derived. Only the seed cones from the female vine are used in making beer. Hops are responsible for the bitterness in beer.
Definition taken from Beer Tutor.

Extra Spicy Beer Chili

Neither my husband nor I are a fan of beans. I just don't like 'em and for the most part can't tolerate them. Baked Beans- absolutely not! Never. But because I'm a "grown up" I have decided to will myself to like them and tolerate them in certain recipes. I have never made chili due to my hatred for beans. I can make a mean Cincinnati Chili (all meat) but never regular chili. So I decided to suck it up and make regular chili anyway.

So far I have made Chili twice, so this will be a two part post. For my first Chili making experience I knew I better go with something spicy, extra tasty and with minimal beans. I found a recipe and tweaked it a bit to my liking and it was SO GOOD!

Over the last few years Dan has really gotten into craft beers and local breweries. I go along for the ride and just let him order for me! I'm not near as knowledgeable as he is, but it's still fun. One of his favorites is Flat 12 Bierworks a local brewery downtown Indianapolis. Flat 12 has a great Tap Room to try beers and also is the home to Byrnes Grilled Pizza- a mobile pizza truck that spends their weekends permanently at Flat 12 and serves incredible homemade pizza! You should definitely check them out!

Anyway... back to the Chili. Flat 12 is open on Sunday for carryout of beer. So Dan picked up a growler  of Pogues Run Porter to drink for the games and add to the Chili. I must say it was definitely a winner! The Chili was super spicy and perfect with the beer in it.

Extra Spicy Beer Chili
Ingredients
2 pounds of ground turkey (or beef)
1 large white onion, chopped
2 cans of diced tomatoes
2 cans of tomato sauce
12oz of Flat 12 Pogues Run Porter Beer
2 cans of spicy chili beans
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
3Tbsp Tabasco sauce
1/3 cup chili powder
3 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
3Tbsp red pepper flakes
3/4 cup of elbow noodles

Directions

Crumble and brown the ground turkey until cooked. Drain grease if necessary. Transfer to large soup pot. Add remaining ingredients except noodles. Cover the pot and simmer on low heat for one and a  half hours. Add pasta (measure to the amount you prefer) and continue cooking for half an hour or until pasta is done.

Serve with Cheddar Cheese and cornbread! Enjoy!

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