I love a good fast chili, though I also occsionally make the crazy ones. I made this [link] super intense vegetarian chili for a chili cook off a few weeks ago and won second place. Second place in a TN cook off with a vegetarian option! I spent hours on it, though, since I even made the beans from dried (we are trying to reduce canned goods becauze BPA). It is very good, but if you decide to tackle it make a bunch of the chili paste (the first step) so that later chili batches are easier. Or just make a big batch of the whole thing and freeze. And use less of the hot peppers and chipotle, unless you really like it spicy. I reduced both by half and it was still on the spicy side.

Yeah, I'll pretty much never make a Food Lab recipe -- just like America's Test Kitchen! I don't care enough to spend the time when the quick version is also delicious. I believe the "best ever" version is better, but not enough better for me.

My favorite way to make chili at home when I have the time is to prep it quickly and then stick it in the crock pot for the day. The flavors really intensify after some time in the crock pot.

But that is a very impressive result, Gris!

Ha, totally fair. It is a passion project thing. I did triple the chili paste last time, though, so making it again is essentially an onion and cans, since I noe have frozen paste. The chili paste is most of the work in the food lab chili recipes. Well, the meat ones also have crazy meat work, but I see no value in meat chili. Weird that way.

I also made the food lab's six hour tomato sauce yesterday. Which sounds worse than it is, since it just sits in the oven for essentially all six of those hours. The worst part was opening and cleaning six cans of tomatoes!

I love a good fast chili, though I also occsionally make the crazy ones. I made this [link] super intense vegetarian chili for a chili cook off a few weeks ago and won second place. Second place in a TN cook off with a vegetarian option!

Impressive! I made a different chili recipe a couple times that had sweet potatoes in it, and I was impressed with how delicious the sweetness pairs with the spiciness of the chili.

The hominy puts it next level. I also added a little unsweetened chocolate.

Yeah, actually looking at the recipe, I see that.

I hadn't figured it out until I got some Blue Apron meals, but I don't actually enjoy the process of cooking all that much! I really like having cooked, and I like deciding what I feel like eating and coming up with stuff, but have no interest in spending extra time in the process. The Blue Apron was all the tedium with none of the fun, for me.

I always put a little unsweetened cocoa powder in my chili. I haven't made chili at all this winter because I haven't felt up to eating it or cooking really.

Yay, Strix!

having a glass of this

Ooh, chocolate and strawberry.

I have returned from Best Buy and the fancy booze place, where I spent a lot of money on good scotch, gin, and rum. I've cleaned and have junk to toss. I have sorted through books to donate. I still need to clean the bathroom and sweep, but I think I'm going to make tacos first.

Thanks for the hotel recommendations, btw.