Colorado Porktastic Green Chili

This started out as a synthesis of several recipes I found on http://www.denvergreenchili.com; I've since played with it enough that I'm comfortable calling this one my own. No idea how traditional this is, especially since I use a crockpot, but I'll eat this morning and night. 

Update: In recent years, I've replaced chicken broth with the pork's own broth, so now it includes pork 3 ways: the pork, the broth, and the bacon. 

Update 2024: On advice of my doctor, most times I make this I actually roast a couple of pork tenderloins and dice them up, and I use Goya Jamon (Ham) seasoning to make a pork broth. If you go this route, omit steps 3 and 4 below; roast the tenderloins in a 425F oven for 20-25 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145F. 

Ingredients:
1 lb bacon, diced
3+ lb pork butt/shoulder, cut into 1" cubes

1 qt pork broth from cooking, or 1 quart chicken stock or water
1 large onion, diced
2 lbs green chilies, diced. I usually use pre-roasted and diced frozen Hatch chilies, and unless I'm dialing it up to 11, I usually use 1 lb hot and 1 lb mild. If you want it hotter you can add any pepper you like - I often add serranos or chile pequines.
1 tbsp minced garlic
6 medium tomatillos, husks removed and coarsely chopped
1 tbsp oregano
2 tbsp cumin
1 14-20oz jar salsa verde/tomatillo salsa. Brand and heat is up to you, but tomatillo should be the first ingredient.
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped plus more for garnish (optional)
Cotija or feta cheese, crumbled, for garnish (optional)

Directions:
1. In a large pan over medium heat, cook the bacon until it is brown and crispy. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and set on paper towels to drain. Save 1-2 tbsp of the bacon grease in the pan.

2. Turn the heat up to medium-high. Working in batches, brown the pork on all sides. Remove pork from pan and place in crockpot. Add 1c water and cook on low for 4-6 hours or until tender. Drain the pan juices into a large pot or bowl, then return to the crockpot.

4. Refrigerate the pork juices until the fat solidifies on top. Skim the fat and pour 1 quart of the pork broth into the crockpot. If you don't have a full quart, add water or chicken broth to make 1 quart.

3. In a large pan, add 1 tbsp olive oil and heat on medium heat. Add the onion to the pan and saute for 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and saute for 1 more minute, stirring constantly. Add mixture to the crockpot.

4. If using fresh chilies, add them to the pan and saute for 5 minutes. Take 1 cup chilies and the tomatillos and puree in blender, then add them and the non-pureed chilies to the crockpot.

5. Add the oregano, cumin, and salsa to the crockpot. Mix well to combine. Cook on low for 1 hour until pork is very tender. Add the cilantro and cooked bacon 10-15 minutes before serving.

If you want it thicker, mix a slurry of 2-3 tbsp corn starch and 2-3 tbsp of cold water and stir it into the crockpot 15 minutes before serving.

Garnish with additional fresh cilantro leaves, cotija or feta cheese, tortilla strips, whatever makes you happy.

Lean Mean Green Chili

No idea where I first found this, and I've done enough changes to it that I'll call this version my own, but the use of corn tortillas as a thickener was definitely different. Also, technically this is a white chili, not a green, but the original title called it green so I've left it the same.

Ingredients:
4 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 cup canned green chilies (mild or hot to preference)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4" pieces
1 tsp ground cumin (or to taste)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 qt chicken broth
2 cans (15 oz) pinto, navy, or other white beans, drained and rinsed
1 jar green chile sauce, such as 505 Southwestern. I use the hot but it packs a punch so your mileage may vary.

Garnishes (optional):
2 tbsp snipped fresh cilantro
Tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips
Fried onions or peppers
Crumbled or diced cotija cheese, feta cheese, or other cheese according
to preference (such as Monterey Jack or Cheddar)

Directions:
1. Grate or finely chop corn tortillas and set aside.

2. Heat oil in large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add
   chicken; cook and stir 5 min. Remove chicken from pot; add chilies,
   onion, and garlic. Cook and stir 3 min. Stir in chicken, broth,
   beans, green chile sauce and grated corn tortillas.

3. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20-30 min,
   stirring occasionally.

To serve: ladle into bowls. Top with snipped cilantro, tortilla strips or
   broken tortilla chips, and/or cheese. Also great over rice or as a
   topping for scrambled eggs or omelets.

Crustless Pizza

H/T to my dear mother who suggested this.

Ingredients: Whatever you'd put on a pizza. I like supreme-style pizzas, so here goes.

1 lb hamburger or Italian sausage
2 cups diced bell pepper (about 2 large)
1 cup sliced onion (about 1 medium)
1-2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup kalamata or Spanish olives, sliced
1 package (about 4 oz) sliced pepperoni
1 25-oz jar spaghetti or pizza sauce
12 oz mozzarella cheese, sliced or shredded, divided

Directions:
1. Brown the hamburger or Italian sausage. Drain and rinse and place in large bowl.
2. Using the same pan and adding oil or cooking spray if needed, saute the bell pepper and onion for 3-4 minutes.
3. Add the sliced mushrooms and continue to saute for another 2-3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and add the vegetable mixture to the hamburger in the bowl.
4. Add the olives, pepperoni, spaghetti or pizza sauce, and 2 cups of mozzarella cheese to the bowl and mix well.
5. Preheat oven to 375. Spray a large casserole dish or 13x9 pan with cooking spray. Place the contents of the bowl in the dish or pan and top with remaining 1 cup of mozzarella. Place the dish or pan in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve immediately.

Superbowl 53 Spread

Doing it a little more varied this year - just a dish or two for each team and the rest more generally applicable. Also doing a bit of a bacon theme because why not? :)

New England: Bourbon & brown sugar steak tips (recipe)

Los Angeles: Fish tacos, both grilled and fried varieties, and what we call in the family "taco tacos" - hamburger, cheese, salsa or ketchup, hard taco shell. No pic because hey, tacos.

Kentucky hot brown crostini. Here's the classic hot browns recipe; mine is decidedly simpler.

Cilantro cream dip (recipe)


Bacon cheeseburger queso: Velveeta, hamburger, bacon, tomato sauce, ketchup, mustard. Heat & eat.

Veg tray:

Not pictured because it all came out of a box: mozzarella cheese sticks, mini corn dogs, coupla cheese pizzas.

Thanksgiving morning strata

One of my traditions on Thanksgiving is to make a strata for breakfast. It's drop-dead easy, it's pretty quick, it feeds a crowd, and it's infinitely customizable once you have the basics in place. 

At its most fundamental, a strata is simply a combination of bread, eggs, and cheese. I generally use brioche, Hawaiian sweet bread, or French bread, but whatever bread/croissants/rolls/etc. you have will work. I slice mine to form a single layer, but you could also dice or tear the bread up and it would be more bread pudding-y. Mix eggs with a bit of milk and pour over the bread, then top with cheese and bake until the eggs are done. I generally use cheddar but again you can use whatever cheese you prefer. 

Add-ins: The list is endless. Depending on my pantry and my mood I've added ham, bacon, sausage, bell peppers, hot peppers, mushrooms, onions, asparagus, herbs, hot sauce - really whatever you want. 

Here's Epicurious' take on how to make breakfast strata without a recipe, though this is more involved than what I typically do. 

And here's my normal recipe. 

Ingredients: 

• 6 slices of sandwich bread or about a half loaf of French bread or brioche, sliced/torn
• 18 large eggs; if using 13x9 pan, might only need 12 eggs. 
• 1/2 cup milk
• 8 oz shredded or sliced cheese - Cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Swiss are all good choices
• Any add-on meats or vegetables you want

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spray 15x10 or 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange the bread in the dish to form a single layer. 
3. Crack eggs into large bowl. Add milk and mix thoroughly. Pour half the egg mixture gently over bread until completely covered.
4. If adding any meats or vegetables, cook them appropriately, dice them, and arrange them in a shallow layer on top of the bread. 
5. Pour the rest of the egg mixture over bread and add-ins. 
6. Sprinkle or arrange cheese on top of the egg mixture. 
7.  Cover pan tightly with foil and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 20 minutes.
8. Remove pan from oven. 
9.  Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15-25 minutes or until the center is set. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then serve. 

Thanksgiving 2017

The theme: As chosen by my nearly 11-yo daughter: "Pumpkin Spice"

Sigh.

The menu:

Roast turkey with bacon weave:


Instant mashed potatoes (no pic)

My cornbread stuffing with apples, pecans, and bacon:


Roasted pumpkin spice sweet potatoes:


Cranberry sauce with port wine:


Roasted asparagus with lemon and parmesan:


Hawaiian sweet bread rolls (from the store) with fresh-churned butter

Cheese & sausage tray:


Crudite tray:


Relish tray:


Pumpkin cheesecake with bourbon-butter sauce:


Pumpkin pie (from the store for the finicky) - no pic

An' a ton of booze, pumpkin spice and other. Not pictured: Pomegranate mead, pomegranate mimosas, assorted beers.

Chicken, Sausage, and Ham Jambalaya

I love jambalaya. It's a very effective vehicle for hot sauce(s) - I generally use a mix of a superhot like a ghost pepper or reaper-based sauce for the heat, and then a ton of Louisiana Hot Sauce (Original) for the vinegar flavor. My recipe is more Creole than Cajun, but I don't include shrimp because I just don't like it. Instead, I stick with chicken, smoked sausage, andouille sausage when I can find it, and a bit of diced ham.  

Ingredients:
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs or turkey breast tenderloins, cut into bite-sized pieces 
2 lbs andouille, kielbasa, or other smoked sausage, sliced 1/4" thick
1 lb ham, diced
2 cups chopped onions
1-2 cups chopped green peppers
1 cup chopped celery
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp chili powder
2 bay leaves
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
3 cups long-grain white rice, cooked according to package directions
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
1 6-10 oz can tomato sauce - I prefer the El Pato spicy tomato sauce myself. 

Directions:
1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. Working in batches, cook the chicken (5-7 minutes per batch).
3. Working in batches, lightly brown the sausage and ham (3 minutes per batch)
4. Sauté the onions, peppers, and celery, adding more oil if needed, for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and the spices (chili powder through cayenne pepper) and sauté for 1 more minute, stirring constantly.
5. Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, and tomato sauce and mix completely to combine. 
6. Return the chicken, ham, and sausage to the pan. Fold in the rice. The mix should be slightly soupy; add some additional water or broth if needed. 

7. Reduce the heat to medium and let simmer until everything is hot and most of the liquid is absorbed, 5-10 minutes. 
8. Remove bay leaves and serve hot with additional hot sauce to taste.