So, it’s almost Thanksgiving – meaning it’s almost Christmas, meaning too much everything – except time.

Right about now I start to feel the like the Star Ship Enterprise shooting through the darkness, stars racing past at light-speed, headed into who knows what. I like to be prepared for the unknown, and I don’t like to cook in hyperspace. I barely like to cook in regular space. Fortunately I love chili. Chili is the answer to everything from mid November through Thanksgiving, and if you don’t mind a little repetition – right on through to Christmas. How do I know this? Well for one thing, I made Sebrina’s Five Star Chili – (a double batch.) We had it for dinner immediately – I added some beer and a hefty bit of hot pepper, both fresh and flakes. It made for an exciting evening! (Read that however you like.)

The following morning we had it with eggs over easy, but its also great with scrambled eggs; Add some slices of avocado, fresh cilantro, shredded Mexican cheese, a dollop of sour cream and Wild Oats mild salsa. That equals brunch at our house. I then put the remainder of the chili into quart bags (seven of them!) and the next time I don’t feel like cooking, (tomorrow,) I will pull out a bag, toss the chili in a bowl, heat it to very warm, and then put it on a bun with a little cheese and a couple jalapeños. Ta-da! Sloppy-Chili Lunch.

If I want to make dinner a one dish event, I will use one cup of chili on a bed of lettuce with some Wild Oats Tortilla Chips. I like green salsa on that, but Wild Oats red salsa is great as a dressing on this too. More sour cream and shredded cheddar, black olives, avocado, cilantro and whatever other garnishes you like. = SUPER good Taco Salad.

I love chili on hot dogs. Sorry but I do. Since I never buy them though, a really close second is chili that has been cooked down till it’s not runny, rolled up in a warm flour or corn tortilla, with sweet onion and some peppers and cheese. It’s a Chili Burrito – or as I like to call it, “A chili dog, – without the bun or hot dog!” This is rather like a BLT without the bacon lettuce and tomato otherwise known as toast, except it’s a lot more filling and better tasting.

For a satisfying supper, there is Baked Potato with Chili and all of the fixins. The longest part of the prep for this meal is waiting for five minutes for the chili and baked potato to come to come out of the microwave. Precooked bacon crumbles and fresh peppers chopped on top along with – oh yes! sour cream and cheddar. It’s the ultimate comfort meal and you’re full till next Sunday.

Then, while you are watching the game you need to have a snack, so, Chili Nachos of course, a big plate. If you make them in December, Leave some for Santa and you will definitely make the nice list.

But I skipped ahead. Lets don’t forget Thanksgiving. What to do with all of the leftover turkey? Right. Shred it and put it in the chili! Double protein, double good.

Finally, if you are used to having Turkey Chili with rice, try using quinoa that has been cooked with turkey broth alongside or under a bowl of chili. Quinoa is also nice in the four or corn tortilla if you like a more high protein carb to help round out the chili itself.

With all the time you will save not cooking, and all the money you will save eating in, maybe you can buy a meal or two for someone that is not as lucky as you. That could warm the season up even better than chili with jalapeños. Feliz Navidad!