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What's Cooking in Bryan County: Some recipes for an unprecedentedly cold January
libby hires
Libby Hires

Libby Hires, Columnist

Wow, January! What big surprises you have given us! Especially packed in this one week, we’ve seen history in the making as Donald J. Trump was inaugurated as the 47th president (joining Grover Cleveland as the only other president to serve non-consecutive terms), honored Martin Luther King’s birthday, and had winter storm warnings. 

Bless their hearts, even places in Florida, Louisiana, and Texas saw snow accumulations for the first time in decades. It’s been a great month to enjoy warm beverages and body warming meals!

January is a wonderful time to indulge in a great bowl of soup. With the temperatures plunging this month (below normal for many weeks!), the soup spoon has been at the ready in my house. I must admit, I’m one of those crazy ones that enjoys ice cream in the dead of winter, too. There is limited worrying about it melting as fast as it does in July! Soup, however, warms the body and the soul. It is a great comfort food.

It seems to me that when I’ve got a pot of it simmering on the stove, a memory will arise along with the steam from the mixture. Potato soup makes me think of my family, especially my mom and grandmother. My grandmother had us girls lay out old newspaper with the cleaned potatoes and “get to peeling” for that night’s potato soup. Oh, she prepared the best! Chicken stew makes me think of the church get togethers famous in North Carolina.

Chili makes me think of my first years being married to Jimmy. It seems that all the young hunters in Richmond Hill knew that Coach Hires loved venison and would keep him in ample supply. I made cube steak, spaghetti, and of course chili with venison. If I mentioned that I had made those dishes to friends, they would ask if Jimmy went hunting. My reply was, “Yes! In the refrigerator for leftovers!”

I am so thankful to those guys that helped keep our freezer and stomachs full! Ironically, some of those same guys have sons and grandsons that will call or show up to see if “Coach” needs anything. Whether it was with seafood or game, we had many to share their bounty, for which we are grateful.

This week, since the Super Bowl is only a couple weeks away, I think it’s only fitting to share a few recipes for chili and other game day favorites. Stay warm!

Buffalo Chicken Chili

(Many love the Buffalo Chicken Dip…you’ll love this chili, too! Serve with tortilla chips or corn chips.)

1 TBSP butter 1 cup sliced celery (approx. 2 ribs) 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh garlic 2 cups cooked chicken, cubed ½ cup Sonny’s BBQ Sauce (or your favorite) 2 15 ½ oz cans Northern beans, drained and rinsed (twice) and drained 2 14 ½ oz cans chili-style chunky tomatoes (undrained) 14 oz. chicken broth 6 – 8 drops hot sauce (choose your heat!)

Sour Cream Mild cheddar cheese, shredded (or your favorite) Directions: Melt butter in a 3 or 4 quart pan. Add celery and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat until celery is crisp tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in remaining ingredients except for sour cream and cheese. Stir mixture until well combined. Cook until chili comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes for flavors to blend. Serve in bowls. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of cheese.

Easy Spinach-Artichoke Dip

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1 cup chopped frozen spinach, thawed 1½ cups frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and chopped 6 ounces cream cheese 1/4 cup sour cream 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 cup red pepper flakes 1/4 teaspoon sea salt Directions: Boil spinach and artichokes in 1 cup of water until tender and drain. Discard liquid. Heat cream cheese in microwave for 1 minute or until hot and soft. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and serve hot with pita chips.

Bacon Wraps

1 pound lean bacon 1 (16 ounce) package little smoky cocktail sausages 1 cup brown sugar, or to taste Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut bacon into thirds and wrap each strip around a little sausage. Place the wrapped sausages on wooden skewers, several to a skewer or individually secure with toothpicks. Arrange the sausages inside a 9x13 Pyrex baking dish and sprinkle them liberally with brown sugar. Bake until bacon is crisp and the brown sugar melted, about 40-50 minutes.

Top-Notch Chili

(Lots of ingredients, top-notch flavor) 2 pounds ground beef chuck 1 pound bulk Italian sausage 3 (15 ounce) cans chili beans, drained 1 (15 ounce) can chili beans in spicy sauce 2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste 1 large yellow onion, chopped 3 stalks celery, chopped 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped 2 green chili peppers, seeded and chopped 1 tablespoon bacon bits 4 cubes beef bouillon 1/2 cup beer 1/4 cup chili powder 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 tablespoon dried oregano 2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce 1 teaspoon dried basil 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon white sugar 1 (10.5 ounce) bag corn chips 1 (8 ounce) package shredded cheddar cheese Saltines Directions: Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground chuck and sausage into the hot pan and cook until evenly browned. Drain off excess grease.

Pour in the chili beans, spicy chili beans, diced tomatoes and tomato paste.

Add the onion, celery, green and red bell peppers, chili peppers, bacon bits, bouillon, and beer.

Season with chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, oregano, cumin, hot pepper sauce, basil, salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, and sugar.

Stir to blend, then cover and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

After 2 hours, taste, and adjust salt, pepper, and chili powder if necessary. The longer the chili simmers, the better the flavors will meld. Remove from heat and serve, or refrigerate, and serve the next day.

Serve in bowls with corn chips, cheese, and/or crackers.

Libby Hires is a contributing columnist with the Bryan County News.

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