One Pot Wonderful



There is a great new trend happening in the culinary world that I am a big fan of. This new phenomena is called One Pot Cooking. The concept is that all the ingredients go into one pot or skillet and the entire meal is cooked in one container. No multiple pots and pans to shuffle around on the stove and less mess is best in my house! This recipe is fun for us to make with the Divas as we aren't dealing with a fry pan and they are comfortable cooking in a big pot with Mom's supervision. Our favourite recipe for Chili Mac and Cheese comes from www.damndelicous.net This is a great meal to make ahead and freeze or have ready to reheat for a quick dinner or a delicious, warm lunch in a thermos.

 Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, diced

1 pound ground beef or turkey

4 cups chicken broth

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

3/4 cup canned white kidney beans, drained and rinsed

3/4 cup canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoon cumin

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

10 ounces uncooked elbows pasta

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

In many of the one pot recipes you will see the term "Dutch Oven" used as the main cooking applicance. Below is a definition from Wikipedia to explain what this is. This is not necessary for making this chili or any of the other soups and your trusty  soup pan or stockpot will work just as well. I do NOT in my vast culinary collection own such a coveted pot yet but I MAY just have a coupon for Kitchen Stuff Plus hiding in my wallet.

(Please don't tell my husband.)



A Dutch oven is a thick-walled (usually cast iron but also ceramic and clay) cooking pot with a tight-fitting lid. Dutch ovens have been used as cooking vessels for hundreds of years. They are called casserole dishes in English speaking countries other than the United States ("casserole" means "pot" in French), and cocottes in French.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add garlic, onion and ground beef or turkey.

Cook the meat until browned about 3-5 minutes. Crumble the meat while cooking to break it up evenly and be sure to drain the excess fat. This usually means a treat on our dog's kibble so she is a big fan of chili night!

Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, beans, chili powder and cumin; season with salt and pepper, to taste.





Despite the fact the Divas are great eaters, none of the ladies in this house like BIG chunks of tomatoes in our soups or stews. Aylmer sells petite diced tomatoes that are seasoned and perfect for adding to your recipes. There are a few varieties of flavours so pick up a few cans when you are next at the grocery store so you have them on hand to throw together a quick dinner. 

Bring to a simmer and stir in pasta. You can use shell pasta or macaroni but my favourite is the Ditali pasta as it doesn't expand too much and over power the chili. You will note the recipe calls for 10 ounces of pasta. This amount is adjustable depending on how much you would like your recipe to resemble a soup or a chili. We call this our Chili Stoup as it is thick and a combination of soup and stew depending on how much pasta you add.

Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until pasta is cooked through, about 13-15 minutes.

Remove from heat.



Top with cheese and cover until melted, about 2 minutes.

We like to top our "Stoup" with green onions, some shredded cheddar and sour cream. For Dad and I there must be a good shake of red chili flakes for some heat.

The preparation work in this recipe is minimal and at the end of cooking you will only have one pot (or a beautiful Dutch oven) to clean along with your ladle. Get some fresh dinner rolls or make some garlic bread and dig into this hearty and comforting soup!

Bon Appetit