Beef Chili with Sour Cream and Cheddar Biscuits

We had friends over for dinner last night. Yummy chili, good conversation and cute babies all equal a perfect way to end a Monday! I know that these friends enjoy a good pot of chili so I pulled up this recipe from smittenkitchen.com – one VERY good cooking blog! The pictures are stunning and I haven’t found a recipe there that has let me down yet. I was able to have the chili simmering away before our friends arrived but I made the biscuits just before it was time to eat. The biscuits come together rather quickly so we didn’t have to wait long for hot biscuits to go with dinner.

While I know the woman behind smittenkitchen has already made a few adjustments to this Gourmet recipe, I had a few of my own:

·         I used two pound of ground turkey instead of ground beef

·         To make up for the missing pound of meat I added 15oz of pinto beans. This helps bulk up the chili, makes up for the missing protein and bring the cost of the dish down just a smidge

·         I used ¾ teaspoon of red pepper flakes and there was still a bite, sniffles were heard around the table but our friend’s almost two year old daughter still munched away

·         I used one teaspoon of baking soda in the biscuits – this gave me a better raised biscuit than just using half a teaspoon

Beef Chili with Sour Cream and Cheddar Biscuits
2 onions, chopped
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 T. garlic, minced
2 carrots, sliced thin
2 lbs. ground beef
1/4 cup chili powder
1 T. cumin
2 T.  paprika
1 T. oregano
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 cups tomato puree
1 1/4 cups beef broth
3 T. cider vinegar
15 oz. kidney beans, drained and rinsed

15 oz. pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 green bell peppers, chopped

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-low heat and cook the onions in it for five to ten minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and carrots and cook for one minute more. Raise the heat to medium and add the beef, stirring and breaking up any lumps until it is no longer pink, about ten minutes.

Add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano and crushed red pepper and cook for another minute. Add the tomato puree, broth and vinegar and simmer the chili, covered, for 35 to 40 minutes. Add the kidney beans, pinto beans, bell peppers, salt and pepper to taste and simmer for an additional 15 minutes, until the bell peppers are tender.

Serve ladled over a split Sour Cream and Cheddar Biscuit, below, with additional sour cream and pickled jalapenos, if desired.

Sour Cream and Cheddar Biscuits
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 T. cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
4 oz. sharp cheddar, grated
2 T. pickled jalapeños, drained and chopped  

1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Either cut the butter pieces into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or rub them in with your fingertips until well-combined. Stir in the cheddar, jalapeños and sour cream until the mixture forms a sticky dough. Pat it out to a 1/2-inch thickness on a well-floured counter and use a 3 1/2-inch biscuit cutter to cut six rounds. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 15 to 17 minutes, until golden on top.

Adapted from http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/09/beef-chili-sour-cream-and-cheddar-biscuits/