Easy Chili and Homemade "French" Bread

Easy Chili

I used to hate chili as a child - probably something to do with my picky taste.  I hated beans.  I hated onions.  But over the past few years I have come to love beans and [cooked, chopped, small] onions.  Chili is a wonderful comfort meal on a cold winter day... or week in our case.  This weather in Northern Indiana is crazy right now!  In any case, my husband and I love this super simple recipe.

1.5 - 2 lbs. Ground Beef [or Turkey]
1 Large Yellow Onion
1 Green Pepper
2 Cans Chili Beans*
2 Cans Diced Tomatoes
1 Can Tomato Sauce
1 Clove Garlic
1 Tbsp Chili Powder
2 Tbsp Hot Sauce [optional]
Dash of Cayenne Pepper [optional]
Salt & Pepper to taste


Brown your meat, and drain any fat/juices that come about as a result.  

While browning your meat, chop up your onion and green pepper.

Put all of the ingredients in a slow-cooker for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.

ENJOY!


Homemade "French" Bread

This bread will take you just over an hour from start-finish.  No bread machine needed, no dough hook or fancy mixer.  No sore arms from tons of kneading.  Just lots of flavor for just a tiny bit of work!

A friend sent me a link (which I'll provide below) to a really easy recipe for Quick French Bread.  It was good - and I have made it countless times as a nice side to many different recipes.  However, I have changed the recipe to make it more of my own, a lesser amount (the original recipe made way too much for a family of 2), and even more delicious!  The crust is crunchy, salty, and flavorful while the inside of the loaf remains soft and moist.   



1 Packet of Rapid-Rising Yeast
1 1/4 Cups [Hot, not boiling] Water
2 Teaspoons Sugar
2 1/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 Tablespoons+ Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Table Salt

1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Pour the hot water into a medium-sized mixing bowl.  Add the sugar and yeast packet to the water.  This should stand about 5 minutes so the yeast can bloom.

Once you've patiently waited these 5-minutes, add in the 2 Tablespoons olive oil, 1 Teaspoon table salt, and the 2 1/4 Cups Flour.  Add the flour into the other ingredients slowly, mixing after each 1/2 Cup. (I use a fork to mix the ingredients).   

Coat a large mixing bowl with olive oil.  Add the dough from your small mixing bowl.  Turn the dough over a few times to get it nice and coated in the olive oil.  Cover the large bowl with cling-wrap and let it hang out somewhere warm for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Place a piece of foil on a cookie sheet (because, really, who likes cleaning cookie sheets?!).  On the foil, put about a tablespoon of olive oil (I don't actually measure this, just make sure it coats everywhere the dough will touch while baking).  Sprinkle about half of the Kosher salt on top of the olive oil.

Put your risen dough on the olive oil-greased foil, shaping it into a french loaf.  Sprinkle the other half of your Kosher salt on top. (I often sprinkle fresh Ground Pepper and Rosemary on top when I serve it with Beef Stew or Spaghetti... I added Pepper and Savory Seasonings to go with the Chili)

Bake for 28-30 minutes until the top of the crust is lightly golden in color.


This bread doesn't reheat well.  Not to say it doesn't taste good on day 2, but the texture is different and not as delicious.  This bread is best consumed the day it is made.

Derek's Rating: 9/10

Original French Bread Recipe