Getting Ready for the "Souper" Bowl
What fun we had tasting chili last night! I don't know about your family, but we have had chili on Super Bowl Sunday for at least 20 years.  I think the first time I noticed it had become a tradition was when we lived in NY. We'd get together with our good friends to watch the BIG GAME.  The boys wore their jerseys and created a score board made out of some crudely cut plywood.
Rob (our son and a charter member of Souper Tuesday) kept the score. It really didn't matter who won, we had a great time - and the chili was hot!

There are plenty of variations of chili readily available.  Rob sent me some recipes from Men's Health magazine and my own subscription to food network magazine featured this fine dish on the cover the Jan/Feb issue. Let's just say, that you can't go wrong with some simple ingredients and a little chili powder!

Big Game Chili (an original recipe)
2 lbs ground beef (turkey works well too)
1/2 lb of ground sweet Italian sausage (love the flavor the pork brings to the dish)
2 lg cans of whole Italian tomatoes
1 lg can of Hunts tomato sauce
3 medium onions - chopped (2 for the chili and save 1 for topping)
2 cloves of garlic - chopped
3-4 cups of celery - chopped
5-6 TBS chili powder (to taste)
2 TBS Worstershire sauce
2 bay leaves
2 lg cans of kidney beans
1 lg can pork and beans (remove bacon), my friend, Lynn, uses black beans - so feel free to experiment.

In a large soup pot, brown meat,onions and garlic. Drain. Add tomatoes, celery and spices. Bring to a boil and simmer at least 2 hours.  Stir in beans and cook for an additional 45 minutes on low.
Top with shredded cheddar cheese and chopped onions.

I served this with a delicious tossed salad that Barbara made (awesome salad-maker) and a mix of three kinds of tortilla chips.  Crusty bread works well, too!

We're all ready for the big game on Sunday, so may the best team win! Go Giants!!