A simple fall meal, a vignette, and a chili recipe

Happy fall!  It will technically be fall by the time I post this and it feels like fall in Calgary, although we have had a very mild September and no frost yet.  The leaves on the trees are just starting to turn.  And while its not sweater weather yet, I had a craving for chili.  Plus, I’m trying to clear out my freezer after my mad Covid-19 stocking up from March lol…

I set up a little vignette on the kitchen counter as we waited for the chili to cook.  Some fall dishes, napkins, and a reddish sunflower clip-on that I found at Michaels this year.   I’ve used the dishes before here for Thanksgiving last year.  They are neutral and can be paired with anything.  Plus, the soup tureens are oven friendly up to 400 degrees.

A Williams Sonoma napkin serves as a mini tablecloth, to which I added a wooden bread board and some pretty mini pumpkins and gourds that I found at the local grocery store.

To pair with our chili, I added an artisanal loaf of bread, a mixed greens salad, and, of course, some cheese to top the chili.

To the mixed greens, I added some multi-colored cherry tomatoes, some English cucumber, some blackberries, and some mandarin orange slices, topped with herb and garlic goat cheese crumbles.  The salad dressing is your choice: Ranch always works well, but so does my new favorite which is lemon, honey, and poppy seed.

And finally, some chili.  Topped with cheese of course; tex mex is my personal favorite, but Italian four cheese mix is tasty too.  You can also add a dollop of sour cream, if you like (I do like).

Let’s eat!!!

Below is the chili recipe.

1 pound ground beef (I use extra lean)

3 – 4 cloves of garlic minced (I use my garlic press)

1 onion diced

2 carrots sliced

2 celery stalks sliced

200 ml (7 oz) sliced mushrooms (optional, but I always use)

frozen peaches and cream corn to taste (also optional but I always use, except today because I didn’t have any)

1 can of diced tomatoes (I use 14 oz)

1 can of red kidney beans (but feel free to substitute mixed beans or chick peas if you like)

1 can tomato paste (5.5 oz)

3 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp dried mustard

Directions:

I call this the lazy cook’s chili.  So easy.  There is no browning of the ground beef.  Seriously.  I was skeptical at first, but I’ve used this recipe many, many times.  You do not need to brown the ground beef first.  Bonus!

Place ground beef in slow cooker or Instant Pot.  Tip:  I purchased a tempered glass lid for the Instant Pot and use it all the time on the Slow Cooker function.  It saves the plastic ring on the pressure cooker lid from absorbing smells.

Break up the ground beef with a wooden spoon.

Add the rest of the ingredients, and give the mixture a good stir.

Cook for 6-8 hours on low in the slow cooker, or for 6 hours on Slow Cooker function (normal) in the Instant Pot.

That’s it.  I give it a stir every once in awhile while its cooking.

Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and shredded cheese of your choice.

Enjoy and please let me know how this recipe turned out for you!