Murder, Alzheimer's and Chili

I just finished watching Season 3 of Henning Mankel's Wallender, the Swedish version.  I read the books first and I really like the Swedish version better than the BBC Kenneth Branagh version. The BBC was very good, but the Swedish is dead on (forgive the pun). The whole series is most excellent but Season 3 the mysteries are interwoven with Wallender's decline into Alzheimer's.  I cried through the end of the last one.  It was so well done and Krister Henriksson's portrayal of a man trying to hold on to his life as is was is powerful and heartbreaking.  It's on Netflix streaming if you are interested.

I cooked a mountain of red beans Sunday for the main dish at the family dinner last Tuesday. I made chili. Never did I imagine I would be cooking something for 18-20 people each week.  I'm the salad lady for Easter dinner and we'll skip dinner next Tuesday.  Tuesdays are $5 day at the movies and I'm going to go see the second Marigold Hotel movie that night.  Perfect.

For dinner, we rotate dishes through the available cooks. There's enough of us so the main dish only comes up once a month. The only problem has been a continuing discussion about starch or vegetables.  The "courses" are protein (not necessarily meat), bread, starch, veggies, and dessert. There are two grown women there pretty much don't eat anything green. On their watch veggies or starch, it's potatoes.  There are three diabetics at the table and we just keep quiet and eat what fits.  The anti-greens do the same. One night won't kill anybody. Cooking are two grandmas, one Mom, one uncle, and one 91-year-old great-grandmother. I wonder if I will be cooking at 91? I wonder if I want to be 91?

I froze the extra beans.  I like to make bean dip out of them or red beans and rice, with sausage.  We have a couple of sources of right off the farm sausage here. Yummy. I was surprised at how well-cooked beans keep in the freezer.

I'm saving up recipes for these meals.  I don't have much experience cooking for so many. This has been a learning process for me.

Chili for 20

3+ lbs ground meat (I used 4 pounds, wasn't sure there would be enough but there was and I kept two servings out for moi)

1 lb Andouille sausage sliced very thin, I like to add the hot with sausage

6 clove garlic squished through my garlic press

4 sticks celery sliced

3 large onions diced

3 chopped red bell peppers
12+ cups cooked red beans add extra if extra people (I cook these up a day or so before I need them, keep them in the fridge and then freeze and extra beans when it's all over.)4- 15 oz Cans reduced sodium diced or crushed tomatoes undrained

Olive oil as needed

Water or chicken stock to add throughout cooking (mixed up the powdered stuff from a jar in hot water and added my salt and pepper to it.
2 tbsp Chili powder

Tbsp+ tabasco to taste

2 tsp Cumin

Salt  pepper  to taste

I sauteed the onions, garlic, bell peppers, and celery in olive oil in the big pot.

Then I browned the ground meat and sausage the day before.  If it's fatter ground beef or ground pork sausage I brown it in a big pan and dump the grease. Add meat to the veggies.  

Add chili powder and cumin to pan.

Add chicken stock (or hot water) with s&p.
Add the four cans of tomatoes.

Add the beans and remaining ingredients to the pot. Stir well.

Adjust seasonings.  I ended up adding more tabasco. This is low-medium hot as we have several small children at the dinner table.

I cooked it an hour and a half and then set it out to cool so I could get it in the car to bring to dinner.

It keeps well in fridge for several days so you can make this ahead and it freezes well,