Have you ever tried these items in chili?

[monaxlisa]

I'm making chili in the crockpot tomorrow and I'm just going to wing it, but I was looking at recipies for ideas and I found some that have some strange things in them.
Have you ever tried chili with coffee, chocolate, or pumpkin in it?
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Pumpkin-Chili
I want to try the pumpkin especially but I don't want to stick to a recipe tomorrow and I can't just toss in pumpkin, it might not mix with the other flavors I use! Just curious!
Maybe I should just make a bunch of small quantities of all the different recipies on the stovetop

 

[cococat]

No but the pumpkin sounds good. I throw all sorts of veggies in my chili (vegetarian chili) and it always gets eaten and turns out yummy. Make some corn bread on the side. Nothing like warm chili and fresh out of the oven cornbread on a fall day.

 

[butzie]

That doesn't really sound like a real chili to me. I do know that chocolate is used in Mexican cooking like chicken mole. How did it taste?

 

[monaxlisa]

I've never tried chili with those ingredients, I tend to stick more towards the traditional side, but I do add potatoes sometimes

 

[Willowy]

I once put some baking cocoa in my chili--it didn't taste like chocolate when it was done, it just made the flavor. . .deeper, I guess. It was good. I haven't tried pumpkin or coffee but I bet they'd do the same thing. The pumpkin might add some of its own flavor but the coffee I think would just enhance the other flavors, same as the chocolate.

But mostly I stick to very traditional (but meatless) chili. Beans, diced tomatoes, and corn. I like to use several different kinds of beans. Just for visual effect, LOL. It's very colorful chili.

 

[lotso'cats]

None of those additions sound good to me.

All I add to my Chili is meat (beef only, either chili meat or a cut up brisket or roast), Chili's (several varieties both powdered and the dried pod; soaked in hot water then the pulp scraped out of it minus most of the seeds), ground cumin, jalapeño powder, garlic, onion powder and maybe a little mexican oregano and some masa to thicken it up. I think that's all the ingredients. I also don't follow any recipe so it's all to taste!

No beans nor tomatoes go into my chili recipe. I keep it authentic Texan!

I made some last year and it was sooo good and spicy too!

 

[zohdee]

LotsO'Cats, that sounds like my chili!! Except I do add beans because its the only way I can get my son to eat them

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I have not tried any of the ingredients listed but I did make brownies with Bhut Jalokia powder once. Those were..interesting.

 

[Winchester]

Originally Posted by Willowy

I once put some baking cocoa in my chili--it didn't taste like chocolate when it was done, it just made the flavor. . .deeper, I guess. It was good. I haven't tried pumpkin or coffee but I bet they'd do the same thing. The pumpkin might add some of its own flavor but the coffee I think would just enhance the other flavors, same as the chocolate.

I like to use several different kinds of beans.

I've used cocoa and coffee in my chili as I have with stews. It doesn't make it taste chocolatey or like coffee, although if you add too much, it might. It does deepen the effect the other flavors. And it's quite good. Cinnamon can be added to chili and to a stew as well. I always add a good robust red wine to my chili, my beef stew, and to cooked tomato sauces, the kind that takes hours and hours to cook, so the flavors can all mingle together. I usually stick with the dark and light kidney beans for chili. If I'm making chicken or turkey chili, then I'll go with cannellini beans. For vegetarian, it's usually light or dark kidney beans. I don't really have a recipe for chili; I like to "wing it". I do have a recipe for vegetarian chili that we really like....that's make with barley and mushrooms.

I've not added pumpkin to chili, but have made a pumpkin stew which was delicious. DH liked it. I do the same with butternut squash....I love butternut squash.

As Cococat said, nothng beats a good pot of chili and a pan of cornbread on a cold fall night! Yum!

 

[nurseangel]

I've tasted some with chocolate and it was actually very good. (I complimented the cook and she whispered to me that the secret ingredient was chocolate). Don't know what kind of chocolate she used. The chili had a very rich flavor.

 

[dusty's mom]

Originally Posted by MonaxLisa

I'm making chili in the crockpot tomorrow and I'm just going to wing it, but I was looking at recipies for ideas and I found some that have some strange things in them.
Have you ever tried chili with coffee, chocolate, or pumpkin in it?
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Pumpkin-Chili
I want to try the pumpkin especially but I don't want to stick to a recipe tomorrow and I can't just toss in pumpkin, it might not mix with the other flavors I use! Just curious!
Maybe I should just make a bunch of small quantities of all the different recipies on the stovetop

No, but my chili has a can of beer in it, along with crushed tomatoes, garlic, bell peppers, onion, chili powder, hot pepper flakes (not too much!), and of course beans and ground beef. It is yummy!!!

 

[swampwitch]

Just on a side note, natalie_ca once posted a chili recipe that sounded really good; she said it's amazing. You might want to ask her for it to try out some time.

 

[natalie_ca]

I'm not really a fan of pumpkin. I do like squash, but not that particular one.

So far as chocolate, coffee or cinnamon in chili? Never! I had chili once that had cinnamon in it, it was disgusting. It was just a little bit, but it's such a strong spice that it was evident as an ingredient. Most disgusting chili I have ever eaten.

For depth of flavour I stick to traditional ingredients, but do them up with a twist. Instead of all red kidney beans, I put in a variety... red, white, pinto, black .... including the juice from the can.

In addition to browned ground beef or ground turkey, I also use tomato paste, tomato sauce, whole canned tomatoes and some ketchup....maybe 1 cup for a whole recipe and some canned mushroom stems/pieces complete with juice.

I also brown the tomato paste in a frying pan, adding a little water to the pan to deglaze it as the paste turns brown and starts to stick to the bottom. I make sure I get it a good deep brownish red before it goes into the chili pot. Carmalizing the tomato paste first adds a nice deep colour plus a nice smokey flavour to the chili.

I also put in worchestershire sauce, a wee bit of liquid smoke.

And a whole lot of chili powder. Maybe 4 heaping tablespoons or so.

Sometimes for variety I add some cubed up raw potato about 1/2 way through cooking, and some kernel corn towards the end.

 

[calico2222]

I've never used chocolate or coffee in my chili, but I do use a touch of cinnamon. And, I mean just a touch, as in 1/2 teaspoon for a huge pot if that. It can get over powering very fast (found that out the hard way!) but it can definitely enhance the flavor if used right. I use a tiny bit in spaghetti sauce too. I might try coffee sometime. I've never heard of that but I bet it would be good.

 

[motoko9]

Originally Posted by calico2222

I've never used chocolate or coffee in my chili, but I do use a touch of cinnamon. And, I mean just a touch, as in 1/2 teaspoon for a huge pot if that. It can get over powering very fast (found that out the hard way!) but it can definitely enhance the flavor if used right. I use a tiny bit in spaghetti sauce too. I might try coffee sometime. I've never heard of that but I bet it would be good.

I have a great recipe for spaghetti that calls for just a little cinnamon. It sounded weird to me at first, but the dish is delicious.

MonaxLisa, your post inspired me to make some pumpkin chili tonight! I haven't tasted it yet, but my SO, who's cooking tonight, says it's good; we're just going to let it simmer for a little while longer before eating.

 

[lotso'cats]

With all this chili talk I decided to make some chili today. I hope it turns out good...lol