Seahawks for the Double! SuperBowl Chili...

Over the course of our summer CSA box, we once again received spaghetti squash. I've tried in the past to like spaghetti squash, but it has just never really spoken to me.... Until now.

Turns out I needed something a little more substantial than marinara to take spaghetti squash from meh to mmm.

Of course this post is not timely at all, in terms of our farmshare or seasonally available produce. But it is super timely if you're planning on having chili for Superbowl Sunday today. The chili seen with the spaghetti squash in the above picture was just a quick weeknight chili. But below you'll find the recipe for what we munched on before the game (seen in the first pic of the dutch oven).

(Jump to the recipe...)

Currently, I don't cook with a lot of heat in the food. With young kids, hubby and I have gotten used to adding in the heat at the dinner table as opposed to on the stove. And although I do miss being able to use chipotles in adobo or fresh habeneros in the sauce, I don't find that chili suffers too much from last minute peppers.

For this batch of chili, I decided to make some bread bowls. Both to increase the fun factor for the kids (and adults!) and because chili in a bread bowl elevates you to Superbowl snack level.

I debated between your traditional bread bowls, large cornbread muffins, or molded bowls (like when you bake a tortilla over an inverted muffin cup). In the end, the tried and true crusty white bread bowl won out. Thank you Alton Brown for your mind-blowingly easy trick to quickly and evenly rising bread. I stuck my kitchenaid bowl next to a large dining bowl full of just-boiled water in the oven and closed the door. Behold the perfectly risen bread in only an hour!

Baked on a stone (with some steam at the beginning of baking) the dough turned into a delicious loaf that had the crisp crust necessary for a sturdy bowl and the chewy interior that soaked up the chili-goodness like nobody's business. But really, chili would taste good in anything once you pile on the toppings. And I totally piled on the toppings.

What Superbowl munchies did you enjoy?

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Seahawks for the Double! Superbowl Chili Yield: one 8-quart potful (probably about 5 quarts)

1 lb ground beef
1 lb sweet italian sausage, casings removed
1 tablespoon Emeril's Southwest seasoning

1-1/2 cups each: diced carrots, diced onions, diced celery

3/4 cup white wine

2 cans whole, peeled San Marzano tomatoes

5 large cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon herbes de provence
1 bay leaf

1 to 1-1/2 cups water

2 large beefsteak tomatoes, chopped
4 to 5 cups kidney beans (from ~1-1/2 cups dried beans or 2 cans)
2 cups frozen corn
salt to taste

1. Heat a small amount of oil in an 8-quart dutch oven over med-high heat. Add ground beef, sausage and Southwest seasoning. Cook until browned, breaking up any large chunks with a wooden spoon.
2. Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat to a bowl.
3. To the pot, add your carrots, onions and celery. Salt lightly. Saute until soft and fragrant. 
4. Deglaze the pot with wine.
5. Add canned tomatoes, garlic, and spices. Mush up tomatoes a bit with your wooden spoon. (This would be the point at which you could add some heat with chilis. A can of chipotles in adobo would be my choice here).
6. Add enough water until it is somewhere between the consistency of a soup and a stew. Add chopped tomatoes. Bring to a boil.
7. Lower heat to a moderate simmer. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
8. Add beans and corn. Salt. Cover and simmer for an additional hour.
9. Let stand overnight if possible.
10. Reheat and serve with: sour cream, cheese, avocados, olives, green onions, jalapeños, chipotles tortillas, cornbread... your choice!

p.s. Yes, I was cheering for Seattle along with my boys who were totally converted to Seahawks fans when their cousins came to visit.