Chili

I wanted to make something different for a meal that I was delivering to a family at our church, and Jer had been talking about wanting to make chili again, so I thought I would search out a new recipe.  I always love whatever the Pioneer Woman comes up with, so I thought we would try this one.

Chili

2 LB hamburger
2 cloves garlic - minced
8 oz tomato sauce
2 T chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 cup masa harina
15 oz kidney beans - drained and rinsed
15 oz pinto beans - drained and rinsed
cheddar cheese
onions - diced
tortilla chips
lime wedges

Brown the hamburger and garlic in a large soup pot, drain the excess fat, and then pour in the tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and paprika. Stir together well, cover, and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, adding 1/2 cup water at a time as it dries out. After an hour, place the masa harina in a small bowl. Add 1/2 cup water and stir together with a fork. Dump the masa mixture into the chili. Stir together well, and then taste and adjust the seasonings. Add more masa paste and/or water to get the chili to your preferred consistency. Add the beans and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with shredded Cheddar, onions, tortilla chips, and lime wedges.

Pumpkin Pie

I searched online for pumpkin pie recipes and decided on this one from Paula Deen.  This makes a TON of filling.  Unless you have a really deep pie plate, you will have extra to throw away or you can make two thinner pies.  The first time I made this I made one and threw some away, the second time, I made two pies. 

Pumpkin Pie

8 oz cream cheese - softened
2 cup pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
2 egg yolks
1 cup half and half
1/2 stick butter - melted
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1-2 pie crust
whipped cream

Place pie crust in a 9" pie pan and press down along the bottom and all sides. Pinch and crimp the edges together to make a pretty pattern. Put the pie shell back into the freezer for 1 hour to firm up. Fit a piece of aluminum foil to cover the inside of the shell completely. Fill the shell up to the edges with pie weights or dried beans (about 2 pounds) and place it in the oven. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes, remove the foil and pie weights and bake for another 10 minutes or until the crust is dried out and beginning to color.  Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, egg yolks, half and half, and melted butter.  Pour into pumpkin mixture and beat until combined. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice and beat until incorporated.  Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crust and bake at 350° for 50 minutes, or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature.  Store in the refrigerator, serve with whipped cream.

Banana Split Pie

My gramma always used to make this pie.  It is delicious, but this is the first time that I have made it - the raw eggs always made me hesitate before.  I just made sure to keep it super cold all of the time!

Banana Split Pie

1 stick butter
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 bananas - sliced
1 T lemon juice
1-2 square german sweet chocolate (green foil) - shaved
1/4 cup walnuts - chopped
1 pie crust - baked

Bake single pie crust according to box directions.  Beat butter and powdered sugar together in a bowl. Add one egg at a time, beating for 3 minutes after each addition. Stir in vanilla.  Slice the bananas and sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent browning. Stir in all but 12 slices. Stir in shaved chocolate and pour into pie shell. Garnish with walnuts and two banana slices per slice of pie. Refrigerate at least 2-3 hours. Best if eaten the same day.