White Chicken Chili

Ingredients 

 
1 Tbsp Olive oil
1 large Onion, chopped
4 medium Poblano pepper, seeded, diced
2 Serrano chili peppers, seeded, minced
1 TBSP Garlic, minced
1 TBSP Chili powder
2 tsp Kosher salt, or to taste
1½ tsp Ground cumin
1 tsp Ground coriander
1 tsp Dried oregano
3 cups chicken broth, Reduced sodium
2 pounds Uncooked skinless boneless chicken breast
45 oz Canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
⅓ cup Salsa verde
2 Tbsp Fresh lime juice
⅓ cup Cilantro, minced, fresh

Instructions

1 Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and peppers; sauté, stirring often, until softened, about 5 to 10 minutes. 

2 Add garlic, chili powder, salt, cumin, coriander and oregano; stir and cook, 1 minute.

3 Add broth, chicken and beans; increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes. 

4 Remove chicken to a plate; let rest 5 minutes and then shred with two forks.

5 Return shredded chicken to pot and stir in salsa verde, lime juice and cilantro; heat through.

• Serving size: about 1 cup

 

Comment:  Freeze any leftovers in 1-cup containers for easy, portion-controlled lunches for another time.

Tsumommy's Clam Chowder

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp butter, melted
2 slices bacon, chopped (maybe 3 or 4)
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1 small onion, finely diced
½ tsp kosher salt
2 bay leaves
8 small yellow potatoes, diced small with skin on (¼” cubes)
2 Tbsp flour
8 oz clam juice
1 cup half&half
½ cup milk
¼ cup white wine
1½ pounds clams
Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

Cook the clams. Clean them. Dice them (fairly small). Set them aside. 
 
In a stockpot over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon.
Add the butter. When it’s nicely warm, add celery, onion, bay leaves & salt to the bacon/butter mix.  Cook until veggies are soft, stirring continuously.
Sprinkle the flour in and mix carefully, stirring constantly, making a roux.
 
Add cubed potatoes and the liquids: clam juice, half&half, milk, white wine.
Simmer until potatoes are soft. Stir as needed. Do not boil.
Add the diced clams. Heat the mixture up again. 
 
Serve. Add pepper to taste in the bowls.
Serve with crackers, and perhaps white wine.

Verdict: Really good! Makes enough or 4 or 5 servings.

TJ's Curried ButterNut Soup

Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash.
1 1/2 heads of garlic, smashed.
2 Shallots, finely diced.
3 TBSP Red curry paste.
2 cans coconut (cream, milk or combination).
4 cups strong veggie broth.
Some (4 or 5?) chicken thighs, sliced thinly against the grain.
A bunch of broccoli. Be generous.
Some yellow/Dutch potatoes.
A bunch of crushed/chopped peanuts.

Instructions: Cook this is a stockpot. Cast iron is a good idea.
• Peel squash. Quarter it. Remove seeds & goop.
• Rub squash with high-temperature oil.
• Roast squash: 45 minutes at 425. Turn halfway through.
• Cook curry paste for two minutes.
• Add shallots and garlic. Cook 'till translucent.
• Dice the cooked squash. Add to curry, onions, garlic. Re-heat.
• When it's hot, add broth & coconut. Re-heat again. Blend 'till very smooth with immersion blender.
• While it’s simmering, cook chicken, broccoli & potatoes separately (Reminder: they take different times). Season liberally with salt & pepper.
• Combine solids with blended liquids just before serving. Dust with peanuts.
• Serve and enjoy!

Comment: This is delicious! 

Low Carb Chili

INGREDIENTS

1½ pounds lean ground beef

2 slices bacon, diced

½ medium red onion, chopped and divided

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 large ribs of celery, diced

1 2 TSBP pickled jalapeno slices

6 ounce can tomato paste

14.5 ounce can tomatoes with green chilies or Mexican seasoning (or fresh tomatoes & peppers)

1½ TSBP Worcestershire sauce

2 TSBP chili powder

1½ TSBP cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp oregano

1 pinch of ground cinnamon

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp cayenne or habanero powder

1 bay leaf

INSTRUCTIONS

•Heat slow cooker on low setting. Or cast iron stockpot.

•In a large skillet (or in the cast iron stockpot) over medium-high heat, cook bacon to half-done. Add ground beef, salt & pepper, half of the onions, half the minced garlic. Once the beef is browned, drain grease.

•Transfer ground beef mixture to slow cooker, if you’re using one, or continue in the cast iron stockpot. Add remaining onions, garlic, celery, jalapenos, tomato paste, tomatoes and chilies (with liquid), stewed tomatoes (with liquid), Worcestershire sauce and the spices.

•Stir until all ingredients are well combined.  Cook on low 6-8 hours. Remove the bay leaf before serving.

Easy Pot Roast

Ingredients

1 chuck roast (1½ - 2  pounds)

1 TBSP olive oil

2 tsp butter

1 onion, quartered, or use pearl onions

3 large carrots, or a modest handful baby carrots

A couple of red or Yukon gold potatoes

1½ tsp sea salt

1 tsp  pepper

1 tsp parsley for garnish (optional)

Instructions

• Take your meat out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking and generously salt and pepper it.

• Heat a medium Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then add olive oil.

• Rough chop carrots into 2-3inch pieces. (after cutting off the top this meant I was cutting the carrots in half on the diagonal.)

• Cut onion in quarters and add them to the hot pot, browning them on one side and then the other. Remove the onions to a plate.

• Cut potatoes in quarters or eighths. Brown. Remove.

• Add carrots to same pot and brown slightly (about 1 minute). Remove.

• Add butter to the pot and allow to melt. Place the meat in the pan and sear it for about a minute on both sides until it is nice and brown all over.

• Add onions and carrots back to pan with meat. Cover and roast at 275 for about 3 hours. I started checking mine at 2 hours. You want the meat to be cooked through and to tear easily with a fork.

Creamy Potato, Kale, And Leek Soup

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4. Consider doubling it.

Prep: 5min Cook: 17min; Total: 23min

• 1 lb red potatoes, unpeeled

• 1 TBSP canola oil

• 1 pound or so of Italian chicken sausage

• 3 cups or so (6 oz) kale, chopped and tightly packed

• 3 cups leek, white and pale green parts, chopped (2 medium leeks)

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 3 cups rice milk

• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

• ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut potatoes into golf ball size pieces and place on a microwavable plate. Cover with waxed paper. Cook on high, rotating occasionally, until tender, about 6 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in pot, cook the sausage until done. Drain. Add the oil, and heat oil over medium heat. Add kale, leek, and salt. Stir. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.

3. Add milk, potatoes, and nutmeg. Reduce heat to medium low. With potato masher or back of a large spoon, smash potatoes into small chunks. Simmer until flavors blend, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle each serving with pepper to taste.

Spaghetti for Company

Serves 12

Ingredients

• 1 lb bacon, cubed.
• 1 lb sage sausage. I used Jimmy Dean.
• 2 heads garlic, peeled and sliced
• ½ white onion, peeled & chopped.
• 2-3 TBSP dried Italian Seasoning
• 1½ tsp ground black pepper, maybe more.
• 2 TBSP dried Italian seasoning
• ½ tsp beef bouillon concentrate (low sodium variety)
• zero salt (this doesn’t need it)
• 1 large can (29 oz) cooked and diced tomatoes.
• 2 jars or cans, prepared tomato sauce; I used “Garlic & Herb.”

Preparations: preheat the cast iron Dutch oven on a stovetop burner. Chop the bacon up & fry it. Set aside on paper towels to drain. Pour off most of the grease, but save it for later.

Toss the sausage in the hot Dutch oven. While the bottom is cooking, use the spatula to cut into modest-sized meatballs. When these are about half done, add the garlic and cook together with the sausage. Drain tomatoes, reserving liquid; add to sausage. Add bacon and stir well while frying. When they're hot and spicy, add tomato sauce and reserved tomato juice. Bring to a boil, stirring.

I cooked the onions separately, in bacon grease. When they’re mostly done, add the beef bouillon concentrate. Cook together for a few more minutes and add to the sauce.

Adjust spices, which mostly means add more of this or that. Reduce heat and simmer for 4 hours. Yes, I said 4 hours.

Serve over whole wheat pasta. Enjoy!

Steak & Tater Soup

½ pound bacon, chopped medium.

5 cloves garlic, chopped medium

1 cup sweet onion, chopped into ½” cubes

1 lb steak, cut into ½” cubes

4 medium russet potatoes, chopped into ⅜” cubes, divided.

½ tsp ground black pepper, divided

1 tsp celery seed, divided
3 dried bay leaves

1 tsp chicken bouillon concentrate, normal,

3 tsp low-sodium bouillon concentrate

½ tsp dried red peppers, chopped (pizza peppers)

½ cup heavy whipping cream

2 TBSP dried buttermilk powder

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese.

Fry the bacon in a large cast iron frying pan. When the bacon is starting to be done, add the garlic and onions. Continue frying until the onions are starting to get transparent. Reserve excess bacon grease.

Heat half of the bacon grease you just reserved into a large cast iron Dutch oven, and add the steak (it should sizzle!). Fry over medium-high heat until brown on the sides. Reduce to medium heat. Add the ingredients from the frying pan (bacon, onions, garlic). Season with some pepper and celery seed, but no salt.

Heat the remainder of the bacon grease in the frying pan. When it’s hot, add ½ of the potatoes (they should sizzle). Season with pepper and celery seed. Fry until cooked through and brown on the outsides.

Microwave the other potatoes in 1 cup water, until cooked through.

As the steak gives off liquid, add bouillon concentrate and stir to coat all ingredients. Add cream, buttermilk powder, pizza peppers and stir. Add 2 cups water. Cover and heat to boiling again, stirring regularly. Add ½ of the boiled potatoes and their liquid. Mash the other half to release the starches (to thicken the soup) and add to the pot. Add the potatoes from the frying pan and clean the frying pan (we’re done with it). Add bay leaves. Cover and heat to boiling.

Add Parmesan cheese and stir it in well. Cover and heat to boiling. Uncover and stir regularly for 30 minutes, stirring as needed.

Serve with toasted homemade bread and a glass of good, rich stout!

Basic Guy Stew

2 pounds beef chuck, cubed

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 TBSP garlic powder

1 TBSP Italian seasoning

1 tsp salt

2 tsp black pepper

4 TBSP (or so) vegetable oil.

½ pound thick sliced bacon, cut into small pieces.

1 large sweet onion, medium diced

4 large potatoes, peeled and diced

4 carrots, sliced

3 stalks celery, sliced

2 tsp beef bouillion

2½ cups boiling water.

In a cast iron Dutch oven, heat oil over medium high heat.

In a mixing bowl mix together the flour, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Add a small handful of meat at a time and stir until well coated; brown the coated meat in hot oil, about 1 minute per side. Remove the browned meat and continue until all the meat is browned.

Lower heat to medium and add bacon. When the bacon is about half done, add onions. Brown onions on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Drain excess fat from pot; it’s up to the guy cooking to determine how much is “excess.”

Add potatoes, carrots, celery, browned meat and broth (in a word, everything). Stir all together and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for an hour or two, stirring occasionally.

For a thicker broth: 1/2 hour before stew is done, combine 3 tablespoons flour and water in a small bowl and mix well, then slowly stir mixture into stew.

Serve with homemade bread and either milk or dark beer. A salad would go nicely with this.

Pork Pot Roast in Cider

¼ lb fresh bacon, in pieces

1 pork roast (I use one about 2½ or 3 pounds). Trim off the fat, all the fat.
1 TBSP olive oil.
8 - 10 cloves garlic, peeled, halved

2 cups apple cider
1 TBSP beef stock concentrate or bouillon granules
¼ tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried rosemary leaves
1 tsp powdered mustard

Sauté the bacon in the bottom of a cast iron Dutch oven. When done and still soft, remove the bacon and set it aside. Add 1 or 2 TBSP olive oil. Keep the Dutch oven hot.

Season the pot roast on all sides with salt and pepper. Sear all sides. Add the garlic cloves to cook in and flavor the oil while the roast is searing.

While it is searing, combine: cider, beef bouillon, pepper, rosemary, mustard.

When the garlic is beginning to be browned, remove from the oil and set aside. This happens for me before the roast is completely seared.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

If you’re watching your fat content, pour off the bacon grease/oil mixture. When the roast is well browned on all sides, add the broth mixture. Bring it back to a boil and add the garlic and bacon that had been set aside earlier. When the broth is boiling again, cover the Dutch oven, and load it into the preheated oven for 70 minutes. I reach in with a spoon two or three times to ladle the liquid over the roast.

While the pot roast is simmering in the oven, prepare the veggies:

5 modest size potatoes, quartered lengthwise.
1 large yellow onion, in similar size large chunks
½ pound of small baby carrots, or five or six fresh carrots washed and cut into pieces.

1 parsnip, scrubbed, cut into pieces (optional)
Season all the veggies with salt and fresh ground pepper.

When the 70 minute timer goes off, add the veggies, and load it back into the oven, this time at 300 degrees, for another 40 minutes.

When you’re satisfied that the meat is done enough (I use a meat thermometer, looking for at least 155: it will cook a little more after removing it), pull the whole pot out of the oven. Pour the juices off into a frypan and make gravy out of them, but keep them separate from your wife’s portion of the meal. Serve while it’s hot.

Low Fat Pot Roast

Ingredients:
1 beef roast (I use one about 2½ or 3 pounds). Trim off the fat, all the fat.
1 TBSP olive oil.

Season the pot roast both sides with salt and pepper. Sear all sides in a cast iron dutch oven. While it is searing, combine:
1 cup chicken broth (yes, chicken).
1 TBSP dried basil leaves
1 TBSP Worchestershire sauce
5 cloves garlic, peeled, whole

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees.

When the roast is well browned on all sides, add the broth mixture. Bring it back to a boil. When the broth is boiling, cover the dutch oven, and load it into the oven for 90 minutes. I reach in with a ladle two or three times to ladle the liquid over the roast.

While the pot roast is simmering in the oven, prepare the veggies:

5 modest size potatoes, quartered lengthwise.
1 large yellow onion, in similar size large chunks
½ pound of small baby carrots
Season all the veggies with salt and fresh ground pepper.

When the 90 minute timer goes off, add the veggies, and load it back into the oven, this time at 275 degrees, for another 90 minutes.

When you’re satisfied that the meat is done enough, pull the whole roast out of the oven. Pour the juices off into a frypan and make gravy out of them, but keep them separate from your wife’s portion of the meal. Serve while it’s hot.

White Chicken Chili

2 cups diced onions
2 cups diced celery
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2-3 pounds chicken breast,

6 cups chicken broth**
1 bay leaf
1 (7-ounce) can chopped green chilies
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1/3 of a 7-ounce can chipotle in adobo, chopped
1 pickled jalapeno, chopped (or fresh if preferred)
1 pounds white beans, soaked overnight ***
1/2 cup ½ or heavy cream
8 ounces sour cream

8 oz shredded mozzarella

Sauté onion, celery, and garlic in oil until tender, about 5 minutes. In a large stockpot add chicken, water, bay leaf, chilies, oregano, cumin, dry mustard, basil, Old Bay, Cajun seasoning, chipotle, chicken base, and jalapeno and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Pull breasts out and shred with fork and add back into pot.

Add the drained beans and heavy cream and simmer for 1 hour, or until the beans are tender. Add sour cream either mixed in or a dollop in the middle of each serving.

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The FN chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results

***can substitute 5 cans of White Northern, or white beans drained in place of soaking beans overnight***

** reduce chicken broth to 2-3 cups if using canned beans***

My best batch was made with presoaked beans 8-10 hours, then everything (except cram and sour cream) into a crock-pot (after the sauté process) for eight hours. Add ½ & ½ just before serving…

Serve with tortillas and sliced avocado for a extra nice touch!

Courtesy Shelly Larsen. Shelly's an amazing cook and an amazing woman.

West Coast Oriental Beef Soup

Ingredients:

3 strips bacon
1 pound beef (I used chuck steak)

Fry the bacon in the bottom of a cast iron dutch oven.
Add 1-1/2" of the white end of a leek, thinly sliced.
Preheat a large cast iron fry pan while this is cooking.

Remove the bacon when it's crispy. Pat dry and set aside.
Pour some of the bacon grease into the fry pan.
Add water to the leeks in the dutch oven, to 3" or 4" depth.
Add 2 tsp concentrated chicken stock (not beef stock).
Bring the stock to a boil; turn back to medium.

Slice the beef thinly (1/8") across the grain, and then into 1-1/2" lengths.
Season generously with freshly ground pepper.
Brown the beef strips quickly on both sides in the bacon grease, a few at a time.
As soon as they're brown on the sides, transfer to the boiling chicken stock.

Add vegetables, all cut to very thin 1-1/2" lengths:
3/4 cup carrots.
The rest of the white portion of the large leek.
1 entire leek leaf.
2 large stalks of celery.
1/2 of a jalapeño pepper.

Optional:
A handful of fresh brown mushrooms, thinly sliced.
A few cloves of garlic, peeled and either sliced or smashed.

Season aggressively with:
celery seed
freshly ground pepper

And season gently with:
ground cinnamon.

Chop up a portion of Chinese cabbage into the now familiar 1-1/2" lengths. Fill a large soup bowl 1/3 full with the chopped cabbage. Ladle boiling soup over the top and let it rest for five minutes. The boiling soup will cook the cabbage, and the cabbage will cool the soup to a temperature that can be eaten.

I like this soup with fresh milk and white bread or a roll that will handle dipping.

Subjective evaluation: this is one of the best things that I've ever cooked. The flavors have elements of both boldness and subtlety, the vegetables include the gently crisp cabbage with the gentler carrots and the tender beef. The chicken broth gentles the boldness of the beef wonderfully, but I think it's the cinnamon that brings it all together. This is better fresh than day-old.

Overwhelming Spaghetti Sauce

Serves 6 or 8

Ingredients

• 6-12 heads garlic, peeled and smashed: make it a lot.
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• butter and olive oil (equal parts) to fry them in. Don't be shy.
• 2 lbs lean hamburger, cubed
• 1 lb sage sausage, cubed
• 2-3 TBSP dried oregano
• 1/2 - 1 tsp ground clove
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp ground black pepper, maybe more.
• 1 TBSP dried Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp powdered cumin
• 2 tsp (or 2 TBSP) Tabasco chipotle sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
• 2 cans cooked and diced tomatoes.
• 1 jar, bottle or can, prepared tomato sauce, any flavor

Preparations: heat large (preferably cast iron) skillet. Heat oil and melt butter. Fry garlic and onion until transparent. Add cubed hamburger and sausage. Cover and cook until meat is cooked all the way through. Add the dried oregano. Yeah, I know it's a lot. Add the other spices too. Stir well.

Drain tomatoes, reserving liquid; add to meat and stir well while frying. When they're hot and spicy, add tomato sauce and reserved tomato juice. Bring to a boil, stirring. Adjust spices, which mostly means add more of this or that. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Serve over hot pasta. Enjoy! Don't count calories!

Review: This is not wimpy diet food. Ya gotta eat this meal with a fair bit of gusto! And it's so rich and flavorful that gusto is not hard to come by. Some garlic bread, Caesar salad, and a bold hand-made brew(Alaskan Amber is an excellent choice!) make a good meal for a bunch of good friends.

White Chicken Spaghetti

Serves 4 or 5

Ingredients

• 6-12 heads garlic, peeled and smashed: make it a lot.
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• butter and olive oil (equal parts) to fry them in. Don't be shy.
• 2 lbs chicken breasts, thinly sliced
  
• 1 lb sage sausage, in small pieces
  
• 2-3 TBSP dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp ground white pepper, maybe more.
• 1 TBSP dried Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
• 1 jar, bottle or can, white spaghetti sauce, any flavor
• 1 can chicken broth
  

Preparations: heat large (preferably cast iron) skillet. Heat oil and melt butter. Fry garlic and onion until transparent. Add chicken and sausage. Cover and cook until meat is cooked all the way through. Add the dried oregano. Add the other spices too. Stir well.

Add meat and stir well while frying. When they're hot and spicy, add spaghetti sauce and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, stirring. If you like, thicken with flour.

Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Review: This is very good, and quite rich. I prefer to toss this with spiral spaghetti, and top with shredded Parmesan cheese.

Stockpot Chili

Basic Ingredients. Serves 4 hungry beasts or a good family meal with leftovers.

This is a smaller batch than this recipe is for.
The recipe's quantities will fill this pot FULL!

• 2 lb fairly lean hamburger
• 2 lb sage sausage
• 2 large white onion, chopped
• 4-10 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
• 1-2 large bell pepper, chopped (1/4” or so)
• 1-2 can beef broth, 15 oz (or water and concentrate)
• 2-3 can beans, 15 oz, drained, black, or pinto. Spiced is nice.
• 2 can diced tomatoes, 15 oz, undrained. Spiced is nice.
• 1 can tomato sauce, 8 oz
• 1-2 TBSP chili powder (or more)
• 1 can of chilies
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp to 1 TBSP cumin
• 1 – 4 TBSP chili powder
• Olive Oil if needed for frying

Maybe add some of these options. You do not want to add all of these in the same batch. Pick a couple.

• Corn, frozen or canned: a can or a small bag
• Some crumbled bacon: 3 slices to a pound
• Fried mushrooms: whatever you like. More is better.
• Coarsely chopped olives: some.
• Dark beer instead of beef broth
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2-4 tablespoons paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• Some Tabasco sauce: chipotle flavored is good. Less than a cup! Maybe a few teaspoons. How adventurous are you?

Serve with:

• Shredded cheddar and/or Monterrey Jack cheese
• Sour Cream
• Homemade sourdough bread

Dutch oven or stockpot. Big is good.

Directions:

Cook the hamburger and sausage and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add the onions, peppers, garlic, spices and cook, stirring often, until onions are soft, about 4 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the broth (or beer) and cook until the foam subsides, about 1 minute. 

Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, and kidney beans to the pot. Stir well and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the chili from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Add crumbled bacon, corn, olives if you like. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and adjust spices as necessary (roughly translated: add more of some of the spices if you like: boldness is good, but don’t get stupid). 

Simmer until vegetables are hot (and if using frozen corn, until it’s cooked).

Serve family style with bowls of shredded cheese, sour cream and maybe some more chopped onions. You might save the olives, fried mushrooms, and/or crumbled bacon for condiments, especially if you have finicky eaters.

Works best with a good amber ale or strong ale. Maybe an oatmeal stout.

Review: This is not so much a recipe as a launch point. Gather round your ingredients, and while the meat is simmering, make some executive decisions. Involve the family. There are a thousand excellent variations of this. 

This does really well if it's cooked all day, but it begins to all look the same. Recommended: save the corn, some beans, some of the peppers, olives if you use them, and add them half an hour before serving, to keep their shape and color, to make it look interesting. 

It's far better than anything I've ever had from a can or even from a restaurant!