Are you ready for some Football Chili?!?

To all you football widows out there, this recipe is for you! It will get your hubby and his friends away from the flat screen on Sundays and into the kitchen to dig in. You can double for more people and add your own flair, but this is the basic recipe. Most ingredients you'll be able to find locally and put your crock-pot to use (bonus appliance use!!). And in my house, crock pot= fall=football season. You do the math.

This recipe is dedicated to my friend Tracy who hates to measure stuff.

Crock Pot Football Chili

1 regular package of ground beef, turkey or chicken
1 onion (red, yellow or white), diced
1 or 2 bell peppers, diced (I like red, though green are readily available in Tunisia)
Garlic cloves, minced (1 or 2 will do)
1 packet of Chili seasoning (Sorry, this is something you may have to get at the commissary or on Netgrocer. You can also use taco seasoning).
1 big a** can of diced tomatoes
1 normal can of kidney beans
1 regular can of pinto beans
Optional: jalapeno peppers, red chili flakes (If you like your chili hot, use 'em!)

Cook veges in pan for about 5 minutes or until soft. Add ground beef to pan and cook until brown. Mix seasonings and stir. Dump the mixture into the crock pot. Add diced tomatoes and beans to mixture and set on high for 1-2 hours or until heated throughout. Serve plain or with cheddar cheese, Frito's, tortilla chips, saltine crackers, or sour cream.

I love the beans in this recipe, but you can leave them out if you don't. Also, if you can't get your hands on onions or peppers, that's ok too. The seasoning packet usually has dried onions in it. When you use both the beans and the veges, the recipe is super hearty.

You will love this site!

No, they are not paying me for the endorsement of their website, but I absolutely love http://www.allrecipes.com/ . I've posted a helpful link on the sidebar from their site that you can use to find substitutions for baking and cooking. Remember it, use it, love it.

Also, be sure to check out their 'Ingredients' tab at the top. It's great when you have 3 items and want to make a really fab dish, but don't have a clue on what to do! Type in your ingredients and a list of suggested recipes will pop up. It's my little secret weapon for making new dishes. Shhh, tell your friends!

Who you calling Chicken?

In Tunisia, chicken is a major staple in our house. It's consistently good with the exception of small bone left in the boneless breasts every once in a while. Cyd, a fellow Lunching Lady, in Romania submitted this easy-as-pie chicken recipe that may become a new fave fall dish in your house.

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Chicken and Veges

You will need 4 bone in chicken breasts.

Go to the local market and pick up any local vegetable that is in season. For example....I use potato, cauliflower, red onions, carrots. You can also use squash, zucchini, mushrooms. Basically, anything you like in any combination.

Cut up your veges and mash 6 cloves of garlic. Place in baking dish. Coat with olive oil, sea salt, and cracked black pepper. Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes or until your veges are soft.

Salt and pepper your chicken breasts or with any seasoning of your choice. Place chicken on top of the partially cooked veges and bake for 35 minutes or until the chicken is done. The veges cook in the juices of the chicken and caramelizes a bit. It is yummy!!

Serve and enjoy!!

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Thanks to Cyd for this great recipe. As the fall is now officially here, I suspect you'll want to try this one out on hubby and fam. The recipe would be great for entertaining or when your friends/family come to town.

Cloudy with a Chance of BBQ Meatballs

This next recipe comes from my friend Julie who is currently back in the states for a tour. She definitely remembers the trials and tribulations of cooking in Tunis! No BBQ sauce, no problem!!!

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BBQ Meatballs

1 lb. ground beef
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs (These can easily be made if you don't have them. Think day old baguette or bread!)
2 Tbsp fresh parsley (or 1 Tbsp dried)
1/4 cup of milk

Combine meatball ingredients and mix well. Roll into balls and bake on foil lined baking sheet for 25-30 minutes at 375 degrees. Meanwhile, combine sauce ingredients in a sauce pan:

1 cup water
3/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp mustard
1/3 cup brown sugar (you can substitute honey as brown sugar is not available locally in some locales)
Tabasco/hot sauce to taste (you can substitute a little harissa if you want)
Worcestershire sauce (good, but not necessary)

Bring to a simmer for 15 minutes. Add cooked meatballs and simmer for 30 minutes.

This recipe is easy to double, triple or quadruple for parties. It can be made ahead and reheated in a crockpot. The longer the meatballs are in the sauce, the better they taste.

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Thanks Julie for submitting to LLOR. This sounds like an excellent bunco or party recipe, though meatball-lovin'-hubbies around the globe would certainly enjoy for an ordinary Wednesday night.

Keep those recipes coming to my email address! New recipes will be coming to LLOR soon. Stay tuned!