When I was a wee one, our big holiday celebration took place on Christmas Eve. Friends and family came over, we exchanged gifts, and generally just hung out and had a good time. When I was old enough (8? 9?) I took over present wrapping, and would spend all day holed up in my dad’s study, wrapping presents for all guests who weren’t me and listening to the local radio station’s holiday musical selections. I didn’t discover until I was an adult that most people do gifting on Christmas Day rather than Christmas Eve, and it still feels weird to me. (For those wondering about Santa, yes, Santa came to my house and there were gifts by the fireplace Christmas morning. He left unwrapped presents, usually gifts that were large or oddly shaped and would have been difficult for my parents to wrap.)
While I was matching up ribbons and paper, my dad was downstairs making his annual venison chili. He wasn’t a hunter, really, but he did go on a deer hunting trip every year with a few friends, and usually one or the other of them would take a deer, and they would share the meat out amongst the group. So most years, there was venison in the chili, which gives it a slightly different flavor profile from just beef and pork.
I loved the chili, and I loved that my dad was so protective of it. It was served with flour tortillas on the side (to cut the heat), and add-ons like cheese and sour cream were strongly discouraged, but might be grudgingly provided to a particularly insistent guest (usually, this would be a +1 – the regulars knew better). Someone asked for ketchup once. No one ever asked for ketchup again, and the incident was spoken of in hushed tones at subsequent Christmas Eve gatherings.
The chili was served in disposable paper bowls, until the year my uncle stumbled on his way to the table, sending his bowl of chili flying onto the dining room’s off-white carpet, installed a mere 6 months earlier. Then we got some nice crockery with handles, and my uncle was served at the table in future years.
I miss my dad a lot, and every time I make any variation of this chili, I am flooded with warm, happy memories. And also delicious chili.
Dad’s Christmas Eve Special Venison Chili
Print Recipe
If you can't find venison (or don't want to eat Bambi), use 1.5lb each of beef and pork. This chili recipe calls for chunked meat, but makes a great base for ground meat as well, if that's your preference. I do recommend using both pork and beef if you do ground, as the pork gives it a little more depth of flavor.
If you can't find venison (or don't want to eat Bambi), use 1.5lb each of beef and pork. This chili recipe calls for chunked meat, but makes a great base for ground meat as well, if that's your preference. I do recommend using both pork and beef if you do ground, as the pork gives it a little more depth of flavor.
In a large pan, brown sirloin tips, then pork, then venison (leave the fat in the pan to use when browning the venison).
When finishing up the venison, toss in the garlic & onion to soften.
Drain meat, if needed.
Puree tomatoes - leave them as chunky as you like.
Transfer meat, garlic, and onions to a large stockpot over medium-high heat.
Add beans.
Sprinkle chili powder & paprika over meat and beans.
Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and broth to the pot.
Toss in herbs.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a slow simmer.
Simmer gently over low heat, stirring occasionally, for at least 3-4 hours (the longer the better). If you need to run out for a few minutes, just turn off the heat under the pot and then start it up again when you get back.
Add water if necessary. You want a nice, thick consistency somewhere between soup and stew.
Spread cream cheese evenly on flattened chicken (you may have some leftover - that's okay! Just save it for something else. Like a bagel. Or whatever.)
Roll chicken so that cream cheese is on the inside
Place in baking dish
Smash crackers, and add paprika and salt (I do this all in a Ziploc. You can do it in a bowl if that's your deal.)
Pour cracker mixture over chicken (if you have enough, you can lift the rolls up and get some coating on the bottom, but it's okay if you don't have enough to do this)
Bake at 350° for 10 minutes
While chicken is baking, melt butter and stir in honey
After 10 minutes, pull chicken out and pour honey butter mixture over the rolls (a lot of it will end up in the bottom of the baking dish - it's all good)
Bake at 350° for another 30-40m (depending on the size of your breasts) (Your chicken breasts.)
Make sure your chicken is cooked through, then dig in and enjoy!
Up here in the Dirty Jerz, people seem to be all about the red sauce. Which I get — it’s very versatile. You can have it plain, with meatballs, with sausage, whatever you want. But growing up, we always had meat sauce, and I vastly prefer its richer flavor. Plus, it eliminates a step from things like lasagna and pizza…I don’t have to make meat for those, because it’s already in the sauce!
There are many, many variations on meat sauce. This one is mine.
This is one of those recipes that is so easy I feel like I’m cheating by posting it. But I figure if I didn’t know about this fast and easy method of making “cream sauce”, you may not, either. And believe me, if you like cream sauce, you want to know.
Tips and tricks: First, any kind of protein (or none!) would be great with this. I happened to use salmon because my dr. told me if I’m not going to take supplements (I’m not, because I feel like crap when I do), I need to eat salmon a few times a week. I think this recipe would also be really great with chicken. Also, when I made this, I made it for myself to have for lunch, and I mixed everything together (except the tomatoes) as in the recipe below. Next time, I’m going to keep the salmon separate, as by the 3rd lunch, the salmon flavor had completely overwhelmed everything else.
Holy cow, it’s already Thursday?!?! Obviously this was supposed to go up/out on Tuesday…I’m still trying to get back in the hang of blogging and sharing and stuff and time just got away from me this week. I promise this is just as tasty today as it would have been two days ago.
When I was a kid, salad bars were rife with foods I wasn’t otherwise exposed to: olives, teeny little orange slices, stinky cheeses, cucumbers, and my favorite: garbanzo beans. “Garbanzo beans” was/is fun to say, especially if you stretch it out into garbaaaaaaaanzo, and they had a texture that was different from anything else I ate. If the salad bar had them, I always loaded up on them.
I didn’t realize until I was an adult and discovered that garbanzo beans are just another name for chickpea that I could actually buy some for my very own at home. So for years now I’ve bought the odd can here and there when I’m in a salad-making mood. And I’ve tried the other famous chickpea food, hummus. Weirdly, I hate hummus. Ick.
But then I came across a recipe on Pinterest, as one does, for a salad actually made from chickpeas. Oh. Myyyyy. The original recipe was tasty, but I tweaked it quite a bit to make it exactly what I wanted (lost the garlic so I can eat it at work, added tomatoes for a little extra flavor and vitamin C). This salad both fills and refreshes, and is perfect to throw together for a quick summer lunch or dinner, especially on a super hot day (no cooking! Yay!). I typically eat this as a full meal, but it would make a great side, too.
Sidenote: I just found out that chickpeas are super high in iron! Bonus!
Also, lime juice really is the best citrus flavor for this. Orange is too sweet, and lemon and grapefruit are too sour. That said, if you don’t have lime on hand, use lemon or grapefruit and cut the amount by half(ish).
Summer Salad
Print Recipe
A quick, refreshing salad that perfect for a summer lunch or dinner.
Combine tomatoes, garbanzo beans, feta, and basil in a large bowl (make sure there's plenty of room for gentle tossing!). You don't need to mix everything just yet -- just dump it in the bowl.
Drizzle olive oil and lime juice evenly over other ingredients.
Gently toss to coat, being careful not to smash the feta too much.
Recipe Notes
Do make sure you're using a good feta -- I bought a brand I don't usually get this time and it's so salty I almost can't taste anything else.
Also, lime juice really is the best citrus flavor for this. Orange is too sweet, and lemon and grapefruit are too sour. That said, if you don't have lime on hand, use lemon or grapefruit and cut the amount by half(ish).
Up here in the Dirty Jerz, people seem to be all about the red sauce. Which I get — it’s very versatile. You can have it plain, with meatballs, with sausage, whatever you want. But growing up, we always had meat sauce, and I vastly prefer its richer flavor. Plus, it eliminates a step from things like lasagna and pizza…I don’t have to make meat for those, because it’s already in the sauce!
