Two decades ago….okay, maybe even one decade ago, it would have been considered a minor miracle for me to alter a recipe deliberately (meaning I’ve made plenty of recipe alterations before, but not on purpose). So when Friday of this week rolled around and my Monday craving for the perfect cheeseburger was still just a 3-pound chunk of 90% ground beef in the meat drawer, I knew I had to take action or we were going to be throwing that package away. I HATE throwing meat away; not even so much for the cost, as for the energy that went into producing it.
My mind immediately went to a killer chili recipe we were fortunate enough to stumble upon while visiting family in Minnesota. “Minnesota nice” is no overstatement. My sister-in-law’s husband’s father came up with this recipe, as far as I know, and hence we have always called it Ron Scheid Chili. They are so nice that if he knew we asked for the recipe before we left Minnesota, he probably would have offered to come back to Ohio to prepare it for us.
Quick cupboard inventory. Okay, one can of chili starter. I really need two or three. Okay, dark red kidney beans, black beans, some Busch’s special blends beans…’I’m going to have to wing this one a little bit,’ I thought, ‘No problem.’ Oh, here comes my helper! He’s only 11 months old and one of his specialties is already cupboard inventory. Luckily he’s in a good mood and I am able to sautee some onions and celery and cook the ground beef in the same dutch oven before taking him upstairs for a nap. Back downstairs, I get the chili pulled together and leave it simmering on the stove top while I wake Matthew up to go get Charlie from preschool. I give it a quick taste on the way out the door. Not bad!
The weekend rolls around and it is time for supper Saturday night. For some reason, meal planning gets a little loose here on the weekends (okay, almost all the time) and we usually just end up grabbing something based on what’s in the fridge. Some people call these leftovers. I’ve just finished sharing a bowl of Frosted Mini Wheats with Matthew, and Charlie has requested a hot dog for supper. My husband decides he’ll create chili dogs for himself, and feeling confident I ask him, “Well, what did you think?” He knew I was referring to the chili. “It’s edible,” he said, without looking at me. Make note to self: never ask, "Do I look fat in these jeans?" :)
