Here we are, just a day away from Christmas Eve, when we’ll all be nestled snug in our beds — probably under the A/C because Old Man Winter has taken leave of his senses. Nevertheless, I’m looking forward to our annual Christmas Eve chili tomorrow night.
I’m not sure exactly when we transitioned to chili, but it’s become a habit. The idea, no doubt, was to simplify matters before the Christmas Day flurry, when we would all be contributing to a holiday meal and on the go from morning ’til late night. Try as we might, my sisters and I are unable to put our finger on why the three of us together seem incapable of pulling off our late mother’s feat: Christmas Eve dinners in a clean house, with no mad-scramble gift-wrapping or panic attacks. So, we have chili.
We love what comes after the chili even better. When the time comes, we settle down in the living room at my niece’s home. My sister Marilyn, in from Indiana for the holidays, reads Clement Clarke Moore’s “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” (originally “A Visit from St. Nicholas”). A retired teacher and administrative director of the Indiana University Department of Theatre and Drama, she is perfect for the role, believe me. Then, we move on to the most important reading of the night, the one from the second chapter of the book of Luke. My grand-nieces and grand-nephews have grown up hearing it. I hope the older ones have the sweet memory of Christmas 2007, when my brother was the reader, even though he was ill. We lost him not long after, but he would smile at seeing the tradition carried on. And laugh while teasing all his sisters for arriving late, yet again.
My sister Beverly uses a simple recipe for our Christmas Eve chili because it has to suit a small horde of people, ages 5 to … well, on up there. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top and add chips or crackers, and you’re ready to go.
For the more adventuresome, cookbook author Katie Workman’s recipe in today’s food pages takes it a few more steps. Her “secret weapon” ingredient is chipotles in adobo sauce. These are smoked jalapeno peppers that have been stewed in a sauce of tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, salt and various spices, such as cumin, oregano and paprika.
“Luckily the whole thing — peppers and sauce — is sold in tiny cans at just about every grocer,” she says in an Associated Press article about slow cooker chicken chili.
“The easiest way to use these peppers and sauce is to puree the whole thing. I just dump the contents of the can right into the food processor or blender. Then I store the puree in a sealed container in the fridge. Whenever a soup, stew or a chili (or anything that calls for a little touch of smoky heat) needs a little something extra, in goes a tablespoon or two of the puree.”
So, simple or sassy, chili might hit the spot for your family, too, especially if you need to simplify before the big day.
On our Christmas Eve, there is one last observance to take care of before saying goodnight: We trek into the front yard to toss reindeer food up onto the roof. The youngest gets to do it from daddy’s shoulders. The night has added magic through the eyes of the children. I hope we never outgrow it.
SIMPLE CHILI
Serves 8-10 people
2 1/2 pounds ground beef
2 16-ounce cans tomato sauce
2 16-ounce cans dark red kidney beans
1 16-ounce can chili beans
2 packets McCormick Original Chili Season Mix
Salt, pepper and chili powder, to taste
(Source: McCormick, and Beverly Norris)
SLOW COOKER CHICKEN CHILI
Start to finish: 4 to 6 hours on high, 6 to 8 hours on low (15 minutes active)
Serves 8
1 cup chopped yellow onion
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons pureed chipotles in adobo sauce
28-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juices
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 15 1/2-ounce cans black beans, drained
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 scallions, trimmed and chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Kosher salt
Shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican cheese blend
Sour cream
(Source: Katie Workman, author of “Dinner Solved” and “The Mom 100 Cookbook”)
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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