Cherchies Blog

Black and White Bean Chili Recipe

entrees, lunchSheri SpalloneComment

Black and White Bean Chili Recipe

Cook Time:  40 minutes  

Difficulty:  Easy

Originally posted in 2016.

PRINT RECIPE

After an unseasonably warm December here in Pennsylvania (70 degrees on Christmas Eve), it is finally Winter (downright freezing!!). That means comfort food and chili (made with one of our favorite seasoning blends, Cherchies® Select Grilling Rub and Seasoning Blend) are at the top of our family's list.

Everyone has their favorite chili recipe, but this easy, tasty recipe steals the show because it features our all-purpose seasoning blend, Cherchies® Select Grilling Rub and Seasoning Blend, and items commonly found in your pantry. If you have never tried our grilling rub, you are missing out. It is perfect for grilling, as the label indicates, and it is versatile enough for roasting meats and flavoring dips, casseroles, Mexican dishes, ribs, pulled pork, and chili! The possibilities are endless with this fabulous multi-purpose seasoning.

This recipe feeds a crowd, but you can always half it (unless you have hungry teens like us, who always want second and third helpings. It is amazing how much young adults can eat). If you are short on time and need extra help in the kitchen, you can also make this recipe in your slow cooker by adding all the ingredients to your slow cooker, turning it on, and walking away for a few hours. It's that simple. You would need to stir occasionally, but the rest is a breeze.

Whether it's cold weather comfort, game day celebrations, casual get-togethers, or whenever the mood strikes, this chili recipe will not disappoint. So, why not make the best chili tonight? Grab some Cherchies® Select Grilling Rub and Seasoning Blend, a few ingredients from your pantry, and let's get cooking.

Ingredients

  • *1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) bacon fat or olive oil (*If have leftover bacon grease)

  • 3 lbs. ground meat (turkey, chicken, or beef is fine)

  • 1 medium onion, chopped

  • 1 cup beef broth (we use 1 cup of water with 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Minor's Beef base)

  • 3 Tablespoons (Tbsp) Cherchies® Select Grilling Rub and Seasoning Blend (more to taste- ground poultry may need more)

  • 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning

  • 1/2 teaspoon (tsp) ground pepper

  • 1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste

  • 1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained

  • 2 cans (15 oz.) black beans, drained

  • 2 cans (15 oz.) white beans, drained

  • 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

  • Shredded sharp cheddar cheese (optional garnish)

  • Sour cream (or non-fat greek yogurt as an optional garnish)

  • Sliced green onions (optional garnish)

  • Hot sauce (optional garnish)

Preparation

Chop onions and saute in a large dutch oven in olive oil or bacon fat until onions are soft and translucent.(you could cook onions with one strip of a strip of bacon.  I happened to have reserved bacon drippings in the refrigerator and used that)   Add Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning and Pepper. 

Add meat, Cherchies® Select Grilling Rub and Seasoning, liquid smoke, tomato paste, beef broth and cook until meat is cooked and no longer pink.

Add the beans and the entire can of tomatoes to the pot.  Stir and simmer until beans are soft.

Serve with your favorite chili toppings...cheese, sour cream, hot sauce, green onions, etc., you decide! Enjoy!

Yum

10 Kitchen Hacks That Will Make Your Life Easier

Sheri SpalloneComment

10 Kitchen Hacks That Will Make Your Life Easier

It's time to take your kitchen tools to the next level and ultimately save you time and money in the kitchen.

There are so many gadgets these days designed to make your life easier, but did you know those same gadgets have a multitude of uses? (I love those "aha" moments). These are known as "hacks".

"A kitchen hack is an unusual, easier, and/or better way of performing a task that often saves money and time or improves the quality of the outcome" (Cook's Illustrated Magazine).

Who doesn't love to save time and money?

I found this book in my stocking this year (how ever did it get there?) from Cook's Illustrated Magazine, Kitchen Hacks:  How Clever Cooks Get Things Done,  Here are a few of my favorite hacks I thought you'd enjoy and perhaps have your own "aha" moment:)

1.  Apple Slicer- In addition to apples, use your apple slicer on potatoes to make quick steak fries or to chop nuts.

2.  Egg Slicer- Use an egg slicer to slice mushrooms, strawberries, olives, etc.

3.  Salad Spinner- Use a salad spinner to dry fresh herbs

4.  Pencil Sharpener-  Short on skewers? Turn take-out chopsticks into skewers by using a pencil sharpener.

5.  Wire Wisk - Use a sturdy wire whisk in place of a pastry cutter.

6.  Coffee Filters- No parchment paper for a cake pan?  Use an 8 inch coffee filter (8-10 cup filter), flattened to line an 8 inch cake pan.

7.  Muffin Tins- Use a muffin tin with liners to store ingredients while you cook (Aka "Mise en Place"  (Having all your ingredients prepared and ready to use).  No more small bowls to clean (there are so many uses for muffin tins...that will have to be another blog).

8.  Vegetable Peeler- Use a vegetable peeler to finely peel an onion

9.  Parchment Paper- Run out of muffin liners?  Use parchment paper.  Cut squares of parchment paper and mold over a glass.

10.  Grater- Cookies get a little brown?  Use a grater to gently grate off browned or burnt edges.

You ready to save time and money?  

 

Yum

Cherry Apple Tart Recipe

desserts, breakfast, snacksSheri Spallone2 Comments
Cherry Apple Tart Recipe

Cherry Apple Tart Recipe

Cook Time:  30 minutes  

Difficulty:  Easy

We have updated this post from a few years ago with fresh pictures and content.

PRINT RECIPE

Cook Time:  30 minutes 

Difficulty:  Easy

We have updated this post from a few years ago with fresh pictures and content.

We all need to unplug occasionally and spend quality time together as a family. Aside from game night, movie night, and puzzle night, cooking and baking together is another perfect family-enriching activity for all ages. Cooking and baking are easy, as they allow kids and parents to unplug and connect, and they are fantastic learning tools (they build math and reading skills, teach scientific concepts, enrich oral vocabulary, and so much more). We used these cooking moments to keep our children away from videos and television when they were younger.  

These rustic, tasty mini apple tarts are a fun way to get kids cooking in the kitchen and a great way to spend quality time together as a family. This recipe is forgiving and lends itself to any fruit on hand, including frozen fruit. (We have not tried this recipe with frozen fruit, but by all means, go for it and let us know how it worked out). We had apples that we needed to use, which were the fruit of choice, but instead of one pie, we made several mini tarts so everyone could take pride in their creations. 

I usually make this apple pie recipe with our Cherchies® Apple Butter Spread instead of sugar. Considering we had half-full jars of our butter spreads (Apple, Cherry, and Strawberry), we decided to use the ones we had on hand, and we created several different tarts with the chopped apples. The icing and the lemon zest at the end finished off this dessert nicely.  

So, if you're looking for a creative family activity, unplug the electronics and consider making these delectable Cherry Apple Pie Tarts with your loved ones to create some beautiful memories together. They are perfect as a tasty dessert, a delicious breakfast treat, or an after-school snack. 

Thanks for stopping by! Please comment below on your creations. We'd love to hear your ideas:). Come back again for more family-tested recipes, entertaining ideas, and cooking tips using all our favorite Cherchies® gourmet products.

Follow us on social media: Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

* Note- I forgot to add the lemon zest when photographing these little tarts.  

Ingredients

Preparation

Chop apples into small chunks.  Place chopped apples into a large bowl and add half of the lemon juice. Mix apples to coat with lemon juice.  Add Cherchies® Cherry Butter Spread (I divided the chopped apples into three bowls and added a different butter spread to each bowl) and mix together.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove pie dough from package and "smoosh" (ha!) the dough together until you have one ball of dough.  Separate dough into 6 equal portions (I was going to trace dough with a small bowl and cut out circles, but figured I'd have to reroll the scraps anyway).

Roll out individual dough balls into circles approximately 6 inch circles (it does not have to be perfect...this adds to the rustic factor).  Place rolled dough onto baking sheet.

Leaving about 1 inch around the edge of the dough, spoon apple mixture into center of dough.  Crimp edges around tart. Sprinkle tarts with cinnamon.  Bake tarts in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until crust is golden and apples are soft.

As tarts are cooking, prepare the glaze and the icing.   In one bowl, combine the Apricot Preserves and the remaining lemon juice.  In another bowl, combine the powdered sugar and water.  

Remove the cooked tarts from the oven and while the tarts are warm, brush them with the Apricot Preserves and the lemon juice mixture.  The final step is the icing and completely optional, as the tarts are delicious on their own, but I wanted to make them extras pretty for their "glamour shots".  Drizzle the icing when tarts are mostly cooled.

For other uses for apple butter, check out our blog, blog.cherchies.com.  Enjoy!

Yum

Our Top 20 Mustard Recipes

Sheri SpalloneComment

Cooking With Mustard- Our Top 20 Mustard Recipes

Mustard...it's not just for hot dogs anymore.   

The uses for mustard are endless. Mustard can be a flavor enhancer to many dishes, a thickener to stews and casseroles, an emulsifier for vinaigrettes, a base for sauces, a glue to adhere bread crumbs in lieu of eggs, a secret ingredient for bbq sauces, and so many more uses.

Our company began with an amazing jar of gourmet mustard, Cherchies® Champagne Mustard.  Since 1978, our award-winning mustards have been spicing up kitchens around the world. Our signature mustard is our Cherchies® Champagne Mustard, but we also have two newer mustards, our Cherchies® Hot Banana Pepper Mustard and our Cherchies® Cranberry Mustard.  

Here's why we love our gourmet mustards and of course, why we love you:) "Cherchies Champagne Mustard is a "must have condiment" if you are a cook, (serious or not), as it goes with just about everything, The champagne of Champagne Mustards. Toni C."

We thought you'd enjoy 20 of our favorite mustard recipes.  Like our mustards? Check out our blog or our website for a Cherchies® Retailer near you.  We would love to hear your favorite uses of our mustards.

Sign up for our newsletter on our website www.cherchies.com for weekly specials on our products (Pssst...our Champagne Mustard is on sale this Friday, January 8, 2016).  

Yum