Tailgating & Easy Chili

A few years ago we started a new tradition hosting a tailgating party for all of our friends. Being a Purdue fan or alumni is not necessary to attend. Each year we try to improve our setup. This year we added a generator and we were able to use slow cookers on site, so I was able to bring chili.

This is basic chili, but it gets good reviews and it is easy to make.

Ingredients:

•  1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup chopped frozen onion (you can use a fresh onion, but this is easier)
• 2 cans mild chili beans with sauce
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons of chili powder (I usually use 3 when we do not have company)
• A dash of cumin (It's okay if you don't have this)
• 1 tablespoon of sugar (this supposedly makes the acid easier on your stomach)
• kosher salt and ground pepper to taste

Directions:
Brown ground beef. Drain grease. Add to slow cooker. Sauté onions in the same pan. Mix all other ingredients together in the slow cooker. Serve once chili is warm all the way through.

Occasionally I will add cooked stew meat to the chili if I want to make it heartier.

The weather was absolutely perfect and we had a good time. Notice the gentleman in the back row, third from the left, does not have a body.

Greg was busy being a pharmacist and could not come. We wanted him to be there in spirit, so we put his head on a stick. He had a lot of adventures, including meeting this bagpiper. After posing with Greg, the bagpiper played us the Purdue fight song.

{kettle corn party favors}

We enjoyed watching our tailgating neighbors play lawn jenga. This could be a dangerous sport. I recommend wearing steel toed boots. I found this tutorial online if you would like to make your own. http://www.instructables.com/id/Giant-Jenga-tower/

Hopefully by Tailgate 2012 we will have our own lawn jenga!

linked: sewchatty, skiptomylou, sumossweetstuff, asouthernfairytale, thegirlcreative, blessedwithgrace