What is a steam oven? It's a regular oven with a small compartment that you fill with water to create steam. The post What Is a Steam Oven—and Do I Need One? appeared first on Taste of Home.
Few foods are as cozy, comforting and soul-warming as a large bowl of chili. As one of the reigning queens of comfort food, it should be no surprise that Ree Drummond (aka The Pioneer Woman) has created one of the most popular chili recipes on the internet.
© Getty Images, Lauren Habermehl for Taste of Home Her Simple, Perfect Chili Recipe has hundreds of rave reviews, so we felt we should put this recipe to the test!
Keep reading to see how this Pioneer Woman chili comes together step by step (and how it compares to our most popular chili recipes).
© Lauren Habermehl for Taste of Home This Pioneer Woman chili recipe is without a doubt simple. It's so simple, we have to admit that we're a little skeptical of how it will turn out! When it comes to chili, we tend to love recipes that include several types of chilies, a complex blend of spices and one or more surprise ingredients like beer or cinnamon.
Editor's Tip: If you're not familiar with masa harina, it's essentially a special corn flour. If you don't have masa harina on hand, use finely ground cornmeal instead or omit it entirely. Just note that your chili will have a slightly thinner consistency.
© Lauren Habermehl for Taste of Home This chili recipe starts out by browning the ground beef in a large pot with garlic. We opted to use a cast-iron Dutch oven, but a heavy-bottomed stock pot would also work well.
Once fully cooked, a blend of chili powder, cumin, oregano and salt is stirred into the beef along with tomato sauce.
Editor's Tip: Since this chili has minimal spices and ingredients, it's worth investing in a high-quality chili powder to get the most complex flavor. Here's the best chili powder, according to our Test Kitchen experts.
This is where we felt this recipe took a left turn. Other top chili recipes typically add other additional ingredients at this stage, like beans, diced tomatoes or additional cooking liquids. Ree's recipe, however, directs you to simply cover the pot and let the ground beef mixture simmer on low for one hour, adding 1/2 cup of water if the chili starts to look dry.
In our experience, the additional 1/2 cup of water wasn't optional, it was necessary. After about 15 minutes of simmering, covered, the chili was starting to look VERY dry. However, adding a 1/2 cup of water rehydrated everything nicely for the remaining 45 minutes of cooking.
© Lauren Habermehl for Taste of Home Next, comes the masa harina, which is used to thicken the chili. We whisked it together in a measuring cup with 1/2 cup of water before stirring it into the chili.
From a thickening perspective, we didn't feel that this chili needed to be thickened at this stage, because it was already fairly thick. However, we loved the subtle aroma that emerged after stirring in the masa harina.
To finish the chili, we stirred in two types of canned beans (pinto and kidney). Then, we let everything simmer for a final 10 minutes to help the flavors meld together.
© Lauren Habermehl for Taste of Home Wow! Forgive us, Ree, we should have never doubted you. I mean, you live on a ranch with cowboys who basically have chili in their blood. This Simple, Perfect Chili is, well, perfect!
Letting the chili simmer for one hour with minimal cooking liquid really allowed the simple blend of spices to become super concentrated and infuse the tomato sauce and beef with tons of flavor.
We were also surprised by the level of heat in this chili. We expected it to be mild since no peppers or hot chilies are included in the recipe. However, we'd place this chili somewhere in the medium range when it comes to spice.
Overall, we give this recipe a glowing 5-star review!
Editor's Tip: The chili powder you use will have a big impact on the spiciness of your chili. Not all chili powders are created equal. If you're using a brand of chili powder for the first time, we suggest scaling back the chili powder to start, taste and add more to get the chili to your preferred level of heat.
Don't forget the toppings! Ree suggests topping her Pioneer Woman chili with cheddar cheese, chopped onions, tortilla chips, and a squeeze of lime. Here are some of our other favorite chili toppings:
Can't get enough Ree Drummond? Head to Walmart and pick up one of her beautifully designed Pioneer Woman kitchen products.
We live in Lancaster County, which has a rich heritage of German culture. Our dishes often include sauerkraut, potatoes and sausage. We enjoy this recipe on cold winter evenings, along with muffins and fruit. —Linda Lohr, Lititz, Pennsylvania
The post We Made Ree Drummond’s Pioneer Woman Chili Recipe, and Yes, It’s Perfect appeared first on Taste of Home.
This Is the Protein-Packed Chili Recipe That Peloton Instructor Jess King Makes To Fuel Her Winter Workouts .
Every nutrient you need for workout recovery you'll find right in your bowl.It's one of Peloton instructor Jess King's go-to dinners after teaching heart-pumping classes. Anyone who's ever taken one of King's classes knows that you definitely end the workout hungry. After a workout, it's important to help the body recover with a meal that has protein, carbs, and fats. They're all nutrient bases a good chili definitely has covered—with the additional benefit of lots of fiber.
What is a steam oven? It's a regular oven with a small compartment that you fill with water to create steam. The post What Is a Steam Oven—and Do I Need One? appeared first on Taste of Home. 
My family loves seaweed snacks so much, we decided to do a taste test. Here's a look at our decision-making process—and our winners for the best seaweed snacks! The post We’re Obsessed with Seaweed Snacks, So We Found the Best Brands appeared first on Taste of Home. 
Let's be honest, sometimes breakfast can be boring. With back to school season in full swing and work commutes returning to normal, often the most important meal of the day turns into a piece of toast slathered with peanut butter. But there's plenty of protein packed meals that can be prepped ahead of time and warmed up morning of, like this bacon butternut hash. Breakfast Egg Dishes to Make Ahead A large skillet of fall vegetables, crispy bacon pieces and smoked ham that's topped off with melted cheese and two fried eggs, this satisfying dish is perfect for breakfast and dinner. 
We all need a few batch-cook recipes to fall back on when life gets hectic. And with a little forward planning, it's easy to prepare food that stretches beyond just one meal. You'll save money, reduce waste and be ahead for busy days. Our top tips and ideas will make the process easier and more efficient, from how to make the most of your freezer space to base recipes for several different meals and what dishes won't keep well. Read on and be inspired! 
Abra Berens’s new cookbook ‘Grist’ is a game-changing (grain-changing?) addition to your fall library.I’ll let you muse on why the grain books are popping off (also good: popped grains). Maybe it’s something about how, in times of crisis and discord, (some) Americans seek hippie ideals—peace, buckwheat, and psilocybin—in the hopes that it’ll help us calm down and get along again. Heady stuff. But what I really want to redirect your attention to is how delicious and full of possibility Grist is. 
On a cold day, nothing warms you up faster than one of our top chili recipes. Pass the cornbread, please! The post Top 10 Chili Recipes appeared first on Taste of Home. 
