A Hurricane Tradition: Nurse Nancy’s Famous Chili with a Secret Twist
When I worked at our local hospital, I had a dear friend Nurse Nancy, who lived on the Pamlico River. Whenever a hurricane threatened Eastern North Carolina, she packed up and came to stay with me. And every time, without fail, we made her legendary chili. The secret ingredient that made it unforgettable was a splash of tequila.
Best Hurricane Chili
This comforting chili seems to please everyone. It has the right amount of kick and flavor.
Servings: 10
Equipment
- 1 large cooking pot
Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds ground beef
- 1 large green pepper chopped into pieces
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 28-ounce cans tomatoes
- 2 10-ounce Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies medium heat
- 3 15.5-ounce cans dark red kidney beans drained
- 1 15.5-ounce can cannellini beans drained
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1-1 1/2 Tablespoon chili pepper or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 2-3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup Tequila
- 1 8.5-ounce can corn optional
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese shredded for garnish
- sour cream garnish, optional
- diced onion garnish, optional
Instructions
- Cook ground beef, bell pepper and onion in a large pot. Pour off fat and drippings into a Pyrex dish. I usually put the grease in refrigerator until the grease rises to the top. Skim off fat and add the remaining drippings to the chili pot.
- Add the two cans of whole tomatoes with juice. Cut whole tomatoes in half with kitchen scissors. Add the Rotel diced tomatoes with green peppers and juice.
- Add the beans.
- Add the salt, chili pepper, ground peppers, lime juice, and tequila.
- Cook for an hour on fairly low temperature.
- To serve, garnish with corn, cheese, sour cream and diced onion. Bon appetit!
