Peanut Butter Chili

Isn't it weird how things just happend to fall in place?

I spent all weekend on my sofa nursing a cold with the two tubby tabby cats who also apparently have either colds or allergies, according to the vet. We all seem to be doing better now, except for a very angry Toby who seems to have developed yet an ear issue now.

There will be an even angrier Toby when he realizes he'll now have to go back the vet.

Anyways, if I wasn't sick over the weekend, I would have made this oddly delightful peanut butter chili on Saturday for Josh's Chili Cook-Off. But because I was sick, I didn't end up making it until Monday. Then today I realized that Monday was National Peanut Butter Day.

Clearly it was fate that helped me to unintentionally celebrate one of the best food holidays of the year!

Anyways, I read online that there are people who always eat chili with peanut butter or peanut butter sandwiches. I've mentioned this to several people now, and our question is always, "Huh?".

Well friends, it's time for a little learning lesson. Apparently this is somewhat of a craze, if you will, with those crazy Mid-Westerners. They have typically used peanut butter as a thickener for chili, and also because (according to them) it compliments beans and paprika. Due to the peanut butter flavor in the chili, eating the related sandwich is clearly the only way to go.

That all said, I made the peanut butter chili on Monday. I would agree that it definitely helped to thicken the chili and the peanut butter taste was subtle but good. Had the chili and I made it to the cook-off, I don't know that it would have won, but it could have held its own.

The recipe as originally written is vegetarian, and I would have left it that way for the cook-off because so many of my friends don't eat meat the way the Quantity Control Expert and I do. But because it was for the Resident Taste Tester and myself, I threw in some ground beef and enjoyed it.

Also, the original directions have a couple of steps that involve adding half the ingredients for a little simmer and then putting more in for another simmer and maybe something else. But I'm more of a throw-it-all-in-and-let-it-simmer type girl with chili. I threw the ground beef in first to let it brown, but then I just added everything else all at once and let it simmer for about a half an hour. I think I also added some cinnamon, but I don't know how much.

(It was probably on the shorter side of a half hour. But I was hungry, don't judge me.)

Peanut Butter Chili

adapted from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup water
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)
2 cups tortilla chips (optional)

Directions
(as interpreted by Rachel)

1. Brown the meat (if you're using it) in a large pot over medium heat. Add all the other ingredients, stir, and let simmer for 30 minutes or until you finish the other chores you tell yourself your going to do. Seriously, go put your clothes away.