Whether you need a hearty meal for your next family gathering or you just want to warm up on a cold winter night, Woodchuck Hard Cider’s Kitchen Sink Chili will keep those flurries away.
In this recipe, the Vermont-based cidery uses its original cider, the Amber, for its classic apple taste and medium-bodied flavor. “When cooking with cider, you want something that is easy to find, dependable quality and most of all a delicious full flavor. Woodchuck Amber is all three,” says Ben Calvi, Woodchuck’s general manager. The Amber has a proven track record: it has been around for 25 years and Woodchuck believes this cider sparked the American cider revolution.
This chili con carne has a bit of spice — especially if you add in the extra crushed red pepper — but the Amber balances the strong stew and its heat with its sweet apple flavor. Don’t be afraid to sip the Amber between warm bites of chili to refresh your taste buds, or the cidery also suggests its lighters sips like the Granny Smith or a Semi-Dry.
Like your classic chili, cider is a staple in traditional American cuisine. “Beverage categories come and go, and there are always new alternatives to beer for the exploratory consumers out there,” says Bridget Blacklock, Woodchuck’s marketing director. “But one thing that always remains the same is that cider is a historic beverage and the category is here to stay, however you choose to consume your favorite cider.”
Remember, this chili is a slow-cooker, so if you want a more flavorful chili, be patient and let those apple juices work their way through the stew.
Kitchen Sink Chili
Serves 6-8
2 cups Woodchuck Amber Cider
1 cup water
2 15-ounce cans red kidney beans
2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
2 6-ounce cans tomato paste
2 tablespoon chili powder
2 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1 cup diced onion
1 pound ground turkey
1 pound ground sausage
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
In two saucepans, cook and sauté the ground turkey and the sausage, separately.
While sautéing the meat, add the diced tomatoes, kidney beans, tomato paste, water and cider into the slow cooker or stove pot. If you are using a slow cooker, start the setting on high. If you are on the stove top, start the temperature at medium-high.
While the pot starts to heat, dice up the orange pepper and onion. Once prepped, add the orange pepper, onion and minced garlic to the pot. Once the turkey and sausage is cooked, add both to the cooking pot.
In a separate bowl, combine the chili powder, flour, salt and paprika, sifting together. Add the combined spices to the cooking pot.
Stir and reduce the setting on the slow cooker to low, or the temperature on your stove top to medium-low. Occasionally stirring, let the chili sit for at least 1 ½ hours. (However, the longer it sits, the more flavorful the chili will be.) As the flavors build together, add crushed red pepper to taste, depending on how daring those taste buds are.
