Let's Get Started

Here is the first, of what I hope to be many, recipes on this blog. I wish I could say that I thought hard about what recipe to use first. Unfortunately, it didn't happen that way. I had some Italian sausage defrosted that needed to be used soon. (Potential food poison wins over first impressions.) After a quick web search, I found a good looking recipe. So, out came the pots, the ingredients, and my camera.

I found this recipe on the Internet at Johnsonville recipes. (See link above.) I happened to be in the mood for some soup or other cool weather dish, since it was a chilly 65 degrees outside. Got to love that Leander, Texas winter weather! Being in that frame of mind, I was really excited to find this Italian Sausage Chili. It fit all the criteria. Easy, quick, and using the Italian sausage hidden in my fridge. I made a few changes to the ingredients, as usual. Jesse and I both voted. We decided that it is a definite keeper! You'll be wishing for some frosty weather of your own so you can make this chili yourself.

I need to apologize in advance for the fact that I am a messy cook. I just can't help it. It must be in my genes. I have seen many cooking sites and have never seen a messy kitchen on any of them. Well, my kitchen is a working kitchen. You're going to see food on the sides of the pan while it is cooking (gasp!) and plates and bowls on the counter (my goodness!) Please don't let my short-coming keep you from trying this recipe. I'm sure you can give it the clean cooking environment it deserves.

Doesn't it look yummy?!

OK. Start with one pkg of Italian Sausage.

I don't like taking the casings off, so I got some sausage without them from HEB.

Brown the sausage and strain.

Remove the sausage from the pot and put aside til later.

Your going to need to chop one small onion, 3 celery ribs, and one bell pepper.

Add this delicious trio to the pot and saute.


Add 1 Tbs of garlic to the veggies.
(Watch out! Your family is gonna start running to the kitchen now.
Who can resist this smell? It is the best smell in the world.)
Saute the veggies til they are soft and tender.




Do you see this brown stuff left over from the sausage
that is stuck to the bottom of your pan?
Don't just leave that there! Scrape it off.
That is flavor, woman! Tons and tons of flavor!





Next, add 2 cans of Italian diced tomatoes,
1 can of butter beans and 1 can of kidney beans.
Don't forget to drain and rinse the beans.
You don't want all that nasty canned juice in your chili.




Add a can of tomato paste.
I used to hate using tomato paste. It is so think and nasty.
Getting it out of the can is terrible.
That is until I learned to open both ends of the can.
I take of one end and use the other end to push the paste out.
No more nasti-ness. Just a satisfying plop.






Now for the spices. One Tbs of crushed basil is dumped on top.

Then 1 1/2 tsps of baking cocoa.

That's right cocoa! Don't leave it out.

Just don't tell anyone that you put it in. It will be our little secret.
Wink. Wink.

I almost forgot!

Put that yummy Italian Sausage back in the pot.

Give it a big stir and simmer for 20 minutes.

Yummy! Italian Sausage Chili

Go ahead..... Take a bite!