To my knowledge there is no one single influence that started the now famous combo of chili and the big game or Super Bowl. The very first Super Bowl was played in 1967 to a modest audience with the average ticket costing $12.00.  Now, you probably can't park your car for $12.00. 

Chili, the All American dish can be made numerous ways, but must contain some of the pod or Chile which is actually a fruit from the Night Shade family.  

Chili is spelled with two "i's" and the pod or Chile is spelled with an "i" and an 
"e"....which some consider the Spanish spelling.

The super market chili powder is influenced by the original chili powder created by Gebhardt to flavor the stew the Confederate Army was fed marching out of Texas.  By the way Gebhardt's chili powder is still on the market.  The original formula was 70% ground chilies, cumin, salt and 30% preservatives that  are not so good for you including diethylene oxides, a preservative and a declared carcinogen.

When you cook with our pure chilies, you get none of the "stuff"--you just need to remember to keep them refrigerated or frozen, since ours has no preservatives or additives of any kind.

I hope you enjoy some good chili soon.  And I look forward to cooking with you soon.  My next classes are Red and Green Chile Favorites on Tuesday, February 11,  New Mexico Favorites on Thursday February 20 , Taco Party February 27, and Chili, Chili, Chile on March 6--all at 5 PM.

Our next weekend class is February 14 - 16 and the next week long class is April 21 - 25.

And....we are already taking reservations for our famed Oaxacan Culinary Tour, June 10 - 16, 2025.

Here's two more chili recipes--

Blue Heaven Chili

Blue cheese is an unlikely ingredient in conventional chili, although other types of cheese have long been chili “tamer downers” and a favorite fixin’ and mixin’. Since I have always really liked blue cheese in any form, I decided to see if it’s wonderful flavor would give a great-tasting “edge” to chili—and it sure does. Try it!

Yield: Serves 2 to 4

2 Tablespoons bacon drippings or butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large whole boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into ½ inch dice (2 to 2 ½ cups)
3 cups rich chicken broth
4 to 6 fresh green chiles parched, peeled, and coarsely chopped, or 1 cup canned or frozen chopped green chiles
1 medium russet potato, unpeeled, diced
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
½ cup crumbled blue cheese (blue cheese, Gorgonzola, Roquefort, or Stilton will work well)

1. Melt the bacon drippings in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it is translucent, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the garlic and chicken and cook, stirring, until the chicken begins to brown, about 4 minutes.

3. Add the broth, green chiles, and potato to the pot. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes can be pierced with a fork, 30 to 40 minutes.

4. Taste the chili and adjust the seasonings as needed, adding salt to taste (many chicken broths and bouillons are so loaded with salt that none is needed). Spoon the chili into individual bowls, and scatter the blue cheese over the top of each serving.

Note: To make “rich” chicken broth, simply simmer regular chicken broth (canned or homemade) over medium heat until it is reduced by half, 15 to 20 minutes (in this case you would begin with 6 cups broth and cook it down to 3.) Or, if using a bouillon concentrate, double the amount of concentrate.

Blue Heaven Chili

Blue cheese is an unlikely ingredient in conventional chili, although other types of cheese have long been chili “tamer downers” and a favorite fixin’ and mixin’. Since I have always really liked blue cheese in any form, I decided to see if it’s wonderful flavor would give a great-tasting “edge” to chili—and it sure does. Try it!

Yield: Serves 2 to 4

2 Tablespoons bacon drippings or butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large whole boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into ½ inch dice (2 to 2 ½ cups)
3 cups rich chicken broth
4 to 6 fresh green chiles parched, peeled, and coarsely chopped, or 1 cup canned or frozen chopped green chiles
1 medium russet potato, unpeeled, diced
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
½ cup crumbled blue cheese (blue cheese, Gorgonzola, Roquefort, or Stilton will work well)

1. Melt the bacon drippings in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it is translucent, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the garlic and chicken and cook, stirring, until the chicken begins to brown, about 4 minutes.

3. Add the broth, green chiles, and potato to the pot. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes can be pierced with a fork, 30 to 40 minutes.

4. Taste the chili and adjust the seasonings as needed, adding salt to taste (many chicken broths and bouillons are so loaded with salt that none is needed). Spoon the chili into individual bowls, and scatter the blue cheese over the top of each serving.

Note: To make “rich” chicken broth, simply simmer regular chicken broth (canned or homemade) over medium heat until it is reduced by half, 15 to 20 minutes (in this case you would begin with 6 cups broth and cook it down to 3.) Or, if using a bouillon concentrate, double the amount of concentrate.

BLUE HEAVEN CHILI

Blue cheese is an unlikely ingredient in conventional chili, although other types of cheese have long been chili “tamer downers” and a favorite fixin’ and mixin’. Since I have always really liked blue cheese in any form, I decided to see if it’s wonderful flavor would give a great-tasting “edge” to chili—and it sure does. Try it!

Yield: Serves 2 to 4

2 Tablespoons bacon drippings or butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large whole boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into ½ inch dice (2 to 2 ½ cups)
3 cups rich chicken broth
4 to 6 fresh green chiles parched, peeled, and coarsely chopped, or 1 cup canned or frozen chopped green chiles
1 medium russet potato, unpeeled, diced
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
½ cup crumbled blue cheese (blue cheese, Gorgonzola, Roquefort, or Stilton will work well)

1. Melt the bacon drippings in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it is translucent, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the garlic and chicken and cook, stirring, until the chicken begins to brown, about 4 minutes.

3. Add the broth, green chiles, and potato to the pot. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes can be pierced with a fork, 30 to 40 minutes.

4. Taste the chili and adjust the seasonings as needed, adding salt to taste (many chicken broths and bouillons are so loaded with salt that none is needed). Spoon the chili into individual bowls, and scatter the blue cheese over the top of each serving.

Note: To make “rich” chicken broth, simply simmer regular chicken broth (canned or homemade) over medium heat until it is reduced by half, 15 to 20 minutes (in this case you would begin with 6 cups broth and cook it down to 3.) Or, if using a bouillon concentrate, double the amount of concentrate.

SPEEDY CHILI

This is quite a respectable chili: however, it’s not the original Bowl O’ Red, my favorite. This version is made with ground beef to speed up the cooking time, whereas the “Bowl” recipe is made with hand cut cubes of chuck, requiring much longer cooking. Making lots of chili at a time is always a good idea as it really does improve with age. Serve with coarsely shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses mixed, pickled jalapenos, chopped onion, and sour cream with lime wedges laced with red chile. This chili, with so much of all the natural oxidative power of red chile, will actually freeze quite well for a year.

1 pound ground chuck (80 percent lean)

½ cup onion, chopped (1/2- inch dice)

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tablespoons Freshly ground pure mild red New Mexican chile

1 4 ½-ounce can water-packed stewed tomatoes, diced

1 teaspoon freshly ground cumin, or to taste

½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 15-ounce can pinto beans (optional)

1. Crumble the meat into a heavy, 5-quart Dutch oven-type pot. Saute over medium heat until the pink color disappears. Tilt the pot and spoon out any visible fat. Add the onion and garlic to the pot and continue simmering for 3 to 5 minutes, until the onion becomes soft and clear.

1. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the chile, tomatoes, cumin and salt. Add the beans, if using (see Note). Return to the heat and simmer for anther 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust to seasonings. If time allows, refrigerate for a day or two so the flavors can develop. If not, serve immediately.

Note: Many Western chili buffs prefer to cook the chili and beans separately, then serve the beans on the bottom of the bowl, and topped with the chili.

Per Serving: Calories 261, Protein 21 g, Carbohydrates 11 g, Fiber 3 g, Fat 15 g, Saturated Fat 6 g, Cholesterol 72 mg, Sodium 592 mg, (Analyzed without beans and with 80 percent lean ground beef)