Blustery wind, cold rain and dipping temperatures make me crave comfort foods. Last weekend we had guests over for a casual dinner. When I was thinking about what to make I was seriously wishing I could go to a restaurant that was an old favorite before we moved away from D.C., Hard Times Café. The restaurant harkens back to the Great Depression and the chili parlors that offered up a substantive meal at a fair price. They bring a taste sampler to your table so you can try their different chilis: vegetarian (my favorite, because it has peanuts in it), Cincinnati, Texas (my husband’s fave) and Terlingua Red (also a very good time). I wanted my old chili fix badly, so I went online to look for recipes. I was delighted to find recipes on the Hard Times Café website.
So, I set about making Texas and Cinncinnati chili, as well as White Chicken and Northern bean chili. Inspire by Hard Times Café, I prepared lots of accoutrements like spaghetti noodles and kidney beans, and so our guests had choices. A “5-way” is chili with spaghetti, beans, cheese, tomatoes and onions. I had Fritos on hand to make Frito Pie, which is layers of chili, chips and cheese. I also made cornbread to make Chili Bubbas, cornbread topped with chili, cheese, and sour cream. By the way, the best, best, best cornbread is made by combining cornbread mix and cake mix and preparing according to box instructions. Sweet, with a nice crust and a delicate crumb.
The big hit of the cold, rainy night was the Chicken Chili, made better with a sprinkling of Fritos on top--even as good as any chili I've had before. Host a chili party of your own with these recipes from Betty Crocker. Even better, have a chili potluck and award a prize for the best tasting chili.
My cornbread in progress. Gotta have it to make a Bubba!