Tailgater Chili ala the SEC

By Avery Aames  aka Daryl Wood Gerber

DO YOU LOVE FOOTBALL?

DO YOU LOVE TAILGATING?

IF NOT, DO YOU LOVE EATING?

Ha. Gotcha. It's football season for colleges and the pros. 

For those of you who don't know, my husband is a consultant for college sports, which includes consulting for the Southeastern Conference (SEC), which might have the best tailgating experience in the country because of their fan zeal and great southern cooking.

I've told people he works for the SEC and many have said they didn't know he was in finance.  LOL.  

College sports?  To-o-o-o-otally different. 

Anyway, like I said, it's football season. Which means it's time to have fun stuff to eat at home while watching the games or to eat at the back of your SUV, car, truck, or RV. 

We received a cookbook from Southern Living, which is the Official Tailgating Book SEC. You know right now I'm into cookbooks, right? Why? Because I'm writing the new A COOKBOOK NOOK MYSTERY series. Lately, I've been asking for all sorts of cookbook ideas. 

In fact, I'm starting a contest in January for cookbook names and recipes you love. The winner will win $100 basket in July, when the series debuts. So put your thinking caps on.

Anyway, chile. I love chile. And this recipe from the SEC version of Southern Living was so great, I had to try it...tweaked, of course. I love to tweak. The SEC version had a number of already prepared things. I went au naturel with the beans and more.

By the way, the more CHEESE (can't lose my love of cheese), the merrier. 

And, my second by the way: the salsa is fabulous!!!

WHITE LIGHTNING CHICKEN CHILE

Ala Southern Living

The Official Tailgating Book SEC

(Tweaked)

Makes 8-10 portions

Ingredients:

1 large sweet onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cups cooked chicken breasts, cubed *

28 ounces chicken broth (gluten-free  used: *Pacific Natural Foods)

1 can chopped green chiles (7 ounces)

3 cups pre-soaked pinto beans (about 1 cup dried, soaked overnight)

(The Southern Living recipe called for 3 cans (16 ounces) navy beans.

I couldn’t find them and prefer fresh, which are so easy to do.)

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon cumin powder

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon garlic salt or onion powder

(This recipe called for a package white chicken chili seasoning mix. I couldn’t find that so I concocted my own mixture of spices)

Toppings: sour cream, Monterey Jack cheese, Avocado-Mango Salsa

Directions:

I love a slow cooker. Though this recipe did not call for it, I poured everything but the beans into the slow cooker. I mashed one cup of the beans (in a food processor) to a pulp, then added the beans and pulp into the slow cooker.

I set the cooker on low for 4 hours. Then I turned it up to medium-high for 2 hours.

Serve with toppings.

* AVOCADO-MANGO SALSA

Ingredients:

1 large avocado, cubed

1 cup mango, diced

½ red onion, diced

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

(This recipe called for cilantro. I’m not a fan. But if you are, add 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped)

Directions:

Stir together and serve immediately.

Ooops! I forgot to get a picture with the sour cream on. We added that at the table. Delish!

* As the cookbook says, the salsa stands alone, served with your favorite chips.

* Also, the cookbook says that you can use rotisserie chicken (already cooked from your store) to make this recipe in a FLASH!  I cooked breasts wrapped in foil at 275 degrees for 1 hour. Perfect and tender.

We devoured this chili. So filling. So satisfying. Enjoy!

This Week's Contest:

All commenters on this post this week will be entered in a
contest to win her (his) choice of  A Cheese Shop Mystery series.
Even the newest TO BRIE OR NOT TO BRIE...if you're willing to wait until February!

PS If you have another Southern Living Cookbook or chile recipe you like, bring it on!!!

Say cheese!

{Remember to check back next Wednesday to see if you're the 
winner or include your email in your response and I will contact you!}

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* * * * *

The 4th in A Cheese Shop Mystery series: 

TO BRIE OR NOT TO BRIE 

comes out in February.

You can pre-order the book HERE. 

You can learn more about me, Avery, by clicking this link.

Chat with me on Facebook and Twitter.

And if you haven't done so, sign up for the mailing list

 so you can learn about upcoming events, releases, and contests!




Also, you probably know my alter ego DARYL WOOD GERBER

has a new series:

A COOKBOOK NOOK MYSTERY

which debuts July 2013

Keep up to date on Daryl's website

"Like" Daryl's page on Facebook and "follow" Daryl on Twitter.

She doesn't say all the same things Avery does. Promise.

Say cheese!

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