I came up with these two recipes that were posted on my Grub for Guys column on Bullz-Eye.com, and they are great for watching football on a chilly Saturday or Sunday, or the whole weekend.  

Chili For Dudes 101: Traditional and White Chicken Chili For Football Sundays and Otherwise

When the calendar turns to Fall, it’s like our inner chili jones begins.  Or maybe it’s when football is on while a chill in the air is hitting.  Regardless, you’ve been waiting about six months to fire up the stove for some chili, and Fall is the perfect time for it.  Lucky for you, we’ve created a couple of brand new recipes—a standard chili that is, frankly, way better than anything you can summon from a can; and a white chicken chili that has plenty of heat as well.  So fire up that stove and let’s get cooking….. 

Mikey’s Traditional Beef and Bean Chili

Sometimes the best recipes are the ones you create without a recipe.  That’s what happened in the Bullz-Eye test kitchens recently when we set a bunch of ingredients on the counter and proceeded to meld them together into some kickass chili.  As with any chili, you can always adjust the heat to your own palate, but come on…chili is supposed to be spicy!

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 to 1.5 lbs. ground beef

1 medium onion, peeled and diced

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 small green bell pepper, trimmed, seeded and diced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can beef broth

2 Tbsp. chili powder

1-2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a large saucepan or stockpot, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add ground beef, onion, garlic and peppers — cook, stirring, until meat is brown and vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.  Do not drain.  Add tomatoes, broth, chili powder, cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste (be somewhat generous with the salt unless you have high blood pressure).  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 2 hours, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed.  Add arrowroot powder slowly and stir to thicken chili.  Serve with the cheese and hot sauce.  Serves 4-6 or 2-3 really hungry dudes.

White Chicken Chili

There are so many variations of this one out there, and most of them will wind up some shade of off-white — this one even more so, because we’re using green jalapenos and orange carrots.  But hey, the premise is what matters, and (oh yeah) the big, bold flavors of this dish that’ll have you going back for more as your football Sunday wears on. 

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. olive oil

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small chunks

1 small onion, peeled and diced

1 small potato, peeled and diced

1-2 small carrots, peeled and diced

1 parsnip, peeled and diced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced

2 cups chicken broth

1 can white beans, not drained

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cayenne pepper or chipotle powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup half and half

1 tsp. arrowroot powder

Chopped cilantro

Directions

Heat oil in a large saucepan or stockpot over medium-high heat.  Add chicken, onion, potato, carrot, parsnip and jalapeno.  Cook and stir until chicken is browned and cooked through and vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.  Add broth, beans, chili powder, cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer about 1.5 to 2 hours.  Add half and half and continue stirring to avoid curdling, about 5 minutes.  Add arrowroot powder and continue stirring a few more minutes or until thick.  Serve with chopped cilantro.  Serves 4-6 or 2-3 hungry dudes.