It’s been awhile since we’ve enjoyed one of my very favorite Crock-Pot creations – the Backyard Barbecue Chili from Robin Robertson’s Vegan Planet! Tonight, our wait was over, and (not to spoil the surprise) LeeLee and I dug right in with gusto and glee.
I know I’ve waxed poetic about this dish a hundred times over the years on this blog, but I trust you won’t mind if I do so again now. There’s just something about this chili that makes it our steady Eddie, our reliable go-to, whether we’re entertaining friends for a football party, hosting family for the week, or just sustaining ourselves before an evening of tai chi class (for me) and work at home (for LeeLee). Tonight, we used it for the latter, and we couldn’t have been more pleased!
But though this is a faithful recipe for us, one we’ve turned to quite often over the years, tonight we made a couple of tweaks we’d never done before. First, I opened the cabinets this morning to find I was lacking one can of diced tomatoes (the recipe calls for 28 ounces, and I had only one 14.5-ounce can handy), so I substituted Rotel for the second can. Then came the matter of the vegan ground beef. Tonight, we took the Tofurky ground beef out on its maiden voyage in our home, and we couldn’t have been happier with the result! We both loved the meaty taste and texture and I was thrilled with how far one package stretched in the dish. The packaging was slender, so I wasn’t sure whether I’d need one box or two; turns out I only needed one. (We’ll use the other one tomorrow night for a St. Patrick’s Day-themed meal!) Thanks to LeeLee for spotting it in the grocery store and picking it up – it’s a keeper!
As usual, this chili makes enough to feed an army – or a married couple for three or four days, at the very least. I’m thrilled to be able to bring some with me in a Thermos for lunch tomorrow! And I’m sure LeeLee will dig right in on his lunch break, too.
Hooray for the Crock-Pot, and hooray for Robin Robertson!
:)