Game Day Recipes + Dad’s Famous Chili Recipe

My dad’s famous, award-winning, much loved secret chili recipe! Plus: awesome recipes you can make in less than 10 minutes for last minute Game Day treats.

I know, I know. The world has turned upside down. Where are the cookies? The fudge? The cupcakes? Where’s the chocolate and the butter and sugar??

Don’t worry. I’ve definitely got some sweet stuff for you today that will be PERFECT for those last minute treats you need to whip up in time for your Game Day parties.

But first: CHILI. Hearty, meaty, manly, quick and easy, FOOTBALL chili.

Not just any chili. And definitely not your typical recipe. This is my dad’s famous, award-winning, secret recipe chili. This is the chili I grew up eating and loving, and I can’t eat chili any other way. My dad has won a bazillion chili cook-offs with this simple recipe, and now I’m sharing it with you.

Don’t worry. He won’t mind. It’s only “top secret” because he can’t ever remember how he makes it! ???? One time when I was in college, I made him call me while he was mixing up a batch and wrote down every ingredient with approximate measurements (since he just tosses everything in according to taste, no measuring!) as he added them. And that’s the way I’ve made my chili ever since.

I mentioned that this recipe is a little unconventional.  That’s because, as my husband puts it, it’s basically glorified tomato sauce.

Hang on, just stick with me. It’s GOOD. I promise.

Here’s how it goes:

You need meat. Like, a lot of meat. There are NO BEANS in this recipe. Just lots and lots and lots of meat. When I asked me dad why he didn’t use beans in his chili, he said beans would just take up space that he would rather use for meat. Sound reasoning in my opinion ????. Ground beef grosses me out, so I always use ground turkey. But that’s totally your call.

Brown sugar. This is key. The sweetness gives this chili it’s signature taste that will have your guests coming back for bowl after bowl.

Next up: TOMATO SAUCE. This is really the golden ingredient where flavor is concerned. I love using Ragu. Their tradition of using high-quality ingredients is something I can depend on for achieving the best flavor. You’ll need TWO 45-ounce jars of Ragu® tomato sauce. Sam’s Club sells this size in a 3-pack, and it’s a pretty great value. Plus, Ragu® is an awesome staple ingredient to buy in bulk anyway. Save a jar for spaghetti night orrrrrrr– you could make a huge batch of chili for the big game tonight.

But I digress.

Back to the chili. How about I just show you how to make it? My brother and I teamed up again to bring you another stellar video! This one is my favorite so far. Check it out and let me know what you think:

Now, my dad likes to let his chili slow cook on low for several hours to really let the flavors marry together. But I’m not much of a planner, and I’ve made it a million times in less than an hour. It’s still amazing. So don’t worry, you can totally pull this off for tonight with minimal prep time. If you don’t have an hour, just skip the simmering and make sure it’s heated through.

And the only right way to serve chili? With heaping amounts of shredded cheddar, sour cream, and corn chips.

There you have it! This chili is an award-winning tradition in our family, and now you can make it yours.

Enjoy!

Ok, I promised you some dessert!! These are my top-5 favorite recipes that can be made in 10 minutes or less and would be PERFECT for any Game Day party:

Ultimate Peanut Butter Popcorn (video in sidebar):

Monster Cookie Dip:

White Chocolate Churro Chex Mix:

Peanut Butter S’mores Dip:

Peanut Butter Pretzel Muddy Buddies: