The chili mixes well with angel hair pasta. This batch also has green peppers in it.
Dawn Kessinger/The Lima News
When I was a kid and I had to fix myself something to eat, it was either a bowl of Froot Loops or a pot of soup.
Campbell’s soup was the easiest: open the can, pour it in a pan, add a can of water or milk, and turn on the burner. I stood in front of the stove, wary of the soup boiling over as it would do if I got distracted by a book. It was good to stir it, too, especially the potato soup because I didn’t like brown or burned lumps of potato.
Several decades later, I am still a soup lover. I enjoy using Campbell’s cream of soups in casseroles and other baked recipes, but rarely dump a can in a pan to heat and eat as I used to do. Instead, one of my favorite soups to make, especially during the cold winter months when I find myself shivering even within layers of clothing, is a thick, hearty chili.
My chili recipe has grown and changed with me through the years. I make it frequently, and not just in the winter. It’s the warmest, most friendly recipe I have. When I don’t know how to tell people I care, I can give them a bowl of chili and it will speak for me quite eloquently. It also helps me win the argument for leftovers being a good thing.
My chili seems to love the adventure of new combinations or different ingredients when I make it. It mixes well with either angel hair pasta or macaroni and cheese.
I’ve found my chili to be the most fun to make for family, friends, and even picky co-workers, who may complain about the mushrooms in it but still leave me with an empty crockpot at the end of the workday.
Chili
Ingredients
• 2 lbs ground turkey (or ground round, chuck, beef or sausage)
• 2 15-ounce cans Bush’s Chili Magic (I use mild)
• 1 large can (8 oz) mushroom pieces
• 2 cups salsa (I use a mild cilantro blend)
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste
Optional Ingredients
• 1 can black beans (or your favorite bean)
• 1 small bag frozen diced peppers and onions
• Angel hair pasta or macaroni
Using a large, deep skillet, brown the ground turkey, stirring frequently. Add salt and pepper.
When your ground turkey is browned, drain the grease. Add the Bush’s Chili Magic, can of mushrooms, salsa, Worcestershire sauce and any optional ingredients and cook on medium heat until hot.
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