Chili in a Biscuit Bowl and Dallas Ice Storm

It’s FREEZING outside, literally freezing!!! If you don’t believe me, take a look at the pictures below!

Dallas got hit with a winter storm on Thursday night. As crazy Texas weather can be, it went from 80 degrees at 3 pm on Thursday to 32 degrees just 12 hours later! We’ve been stuck inside since Friday, but it’s actually been kind of fun.

Just make sure you have food! I stocked up earlier this week so we’ve had chili in a biscuit bowl, Hebrew National hot dogs, chicken enchiladas, pb&js, and coffee by the fire. Yum!

dallas ice storm — 2 inches of solid ice! We’re stuck in the neighborhood for the next few days!

Take a look at the ice I’m talking about below. Two inches of solid ice!! We tried to get out of our house today, but our car got stuck in the alley way and so we had to park it on the street since we can’t get it back in the garage. Oh well, let’ just hope a tree limb doesn’t fall on it!

weber grill — Maybe I should grill and melt off some of that ice!

Since there is nothing to do other than watch Netflix, blog, cook and work on the computer, Matt and I had to get a little fresh air. Our “neighborhood electric vehicle” came in handy! Since we don’t have a car or truck that’s all-wheel drive, this saved our life! Okay, not really…but if we run out of groceries, we’re taking it to Kroger to stock back up!

As mentioned, there’s nothing else we can do inside except watch TV and cook. Last night I made chili in a biscuit bowl, sans the biscuit bowl. Matt’s not a huge biscuit person, and requested crackers instead. He’s crazy… who doesn’t like biscuits???

These biscuit bowls are so impressive and easy to make that I usually make one just for myself, even though Matt will eat his with crackers. 🙂

We’ve got an outstanding beer bread recipe that goes perfectly with chili!! Plus, the bread is super easy. Click HERE for the recipe.

This chili doesn’t get any easier, so enjoy, especially if you’re iced or snowed in like we are at the moment.

Chili in a Biscuit Bowl and Dallas Ice Storm

Serves: 6

Adapted from Southern Living

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium-size green bell pepper, chopped
2 (10-oz) cans Rotel original diced tomatoes & green chilies
1 (15-oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
2 cups biscuit mix
2/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp. ground red pepper
Toppings: sour cream, sliced green onions, cheddar cheese

Instructions

FOR THE CHILI: Cook beef, onion, and bell pepper in a dutch oven over medium heat until meat crumbles and is no longer pink; drain. Stir in Rotel, beans and chili powder.
Bring beef mixture to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 35 minutes. Spoon into biscuit bowls and serve with desired toppings.
FOR THE BISCUIT BOWLS: Stir together biscuit mix, milk and red pepper. Turn dough onto a surface sprinkled with biscuit mix. Shape into a ball, knead 3-4 times. Divide into 6 portions.
Invert 6 (6-ounce) custard cups several inches apart on a lightly greased baking sheet. (Or use an inverted muffin pan.) Coat outsides of cups with vegetable cooking spray.
Roll or pat each dough portion into a 6-inch circle. Place each on a custard cup; press into a bowl shape.
Bake at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Cool slightly; remove biscuit bowls to a wire rack.

Pam’s “2 x 4” Chili

August in Texas means mornings so humid and warm that its nearly unpleasant to go for a walk or run, scorching hot summer afternoons leaving your backyard looking like a dessert, back-to-school shopping, and last-minute vacations for those escpaing the heat and enjoying their last getaway before school starts.

As mentioned before, I write the resident recipe column for our monthly neighborhood magazine. For this month’s article, I featured a resident who discovered this “2 x 4” Chili while on a camping trip with her father in August. It’s a neat story, and a ridiculously simple yet delicious recipe, so enjoy! An excerpt from the article appears below:

“Road trip! Pack your bags,” Pam’s father announced. “We are headed for Blue Lake and Bear Mountain in Colorado where we’ll be camping in a tent and staying in a campground area!”

For those of you who know Pam, she is more at home at a spa rather than a tent, but she was only 12 years old and he was her beloved father. When they arrived at the campgrounds, they overheard the campers next to them talking about having “2 x 4” for dinner. Curious as they were, they asked for the recipe, which consisted of 2 pounds of beef, 2 cans of Rotel, 2 cans of minestrone soup, and 2 cans of Ranch Style Beans; hence the name “2 x 4”.

Who knew that this road trip would teach Pam an extremely quick recipe to share with her carnivorous friends and neighbors!

All you need are 2 cans Rotel, 2 cans Ranch Style beans, 2 cans minestrone soup and 2 pounds of beef.

Once the beef is browned, add the rest of the ingredients.

Combine ingredients, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

While this recipe originates on the campgrounds, you don’t have to go camping to enjoy this delicious chili. Pam and her husband have “2 x 4” for dinner at least 2-3 times per month, and even enjoy it served with their elegant Gianni Versace Medusa China, Waterford crystal and Grand Baroque sterling!

2 x 4 chili — Set a beautiful table with your finest of china, or simply eat on paper plates while camping. 🙂

Pam’s “2 x 4” Chili

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

2 lbs. ground round
2 cans Rotel
2 cans minestrone soup
2 cans Ranch Style Beans

Instructions

Brown beef in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat and cook until crumbly and brown.
Add Rotel, minestrone and Ranch Style Beans, and stir.
Cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes.
Serve with Fritos and shredded sharp cheddar cheese.

Chicken Chili

Here’s an extremely healthy chili recipe from Ina Garten (aka – Barefoot Contessa) that I strongly recommend. It is loaded with chunks of white meat chicken for lean protein, contains tons of Vitamin C from the red & yellow bell peppers, and packs quite a bit of heat with the chili powder, cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes in the seasonings.

Ina Garten states from Barefoot Contessa Parties! that “We had been making traditional chili at Barefoot Contessa for almost 20 years. I decided to update it with chicken to make it lighter, and it’s even more popular than our regular chili.”

I can definitely see why… my husband even ate two bowls of it. Serve with perfect corn bread and enjoy!

Saute onions in olive oil until translucent, 10-15 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add peppers and spices and cook for 1 minute.

Process tomatoes and add to the pot with basil. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered. Add diced chicken and simmer for another 20 minutes.

Serve warm with corn bread and toppings of choice including shredded cheese, onions, or sour cream.

Chicken Chili
Ingredients
8 cups yellow onions (6 onions)
1/4 cup good olive oil, plus extra for chicken
1/4 cup minced garlic (8 cloves)
4 red bell peppers, cored, seeded and large-diced
4 yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded and large-diced
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
4 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for chicken
4 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled plum tomatoes in puree, undrained
1/2 cup minced fresh basil leaves
8 split chicken breasts, bone in skin on
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1. Cook the onions in the oil over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the bell peppers, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and salt. Cook for 1 minute.
2. Crush the tomatoes by hand or in batches in a food processor fitted with a steel blade (pulse 6 to 8 times). Add to the pot with the basil. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
4. Rub the chicken breasts with olive oil and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast the chicken for 35-40 minutes, just until cooked. Let cool slightly.
5. Separate meat from the bones and skin and cut it into 3/4-inch chunks. Add to the chili and simmer, uncovered, for another 20 minutes. Serve with toppings of choice (onions, corn chips, grated cheddar, sour cream), or refrigerate and reheat gently before serving.

Yield: 12 servings
Recipe from Barefoot Contessa Parties!