For this year’s Oscar party, you may want to go with a theme. Here are two delicious recipes with a “Brokeback Mountain” party theme. The real chili recipe calls for rattlesnake meat, but I will use the less daring chicken substitute.
For your chili, you will need oil, one small onion, one green bell pepper, garlic cloves, one pound of ground beef, chopped and cooked chicken breast (the frozen kind works great!), chili powder, cayenne pepper, two 14.5 ounce cans of diced tomatoes, one 6 ounce can of tomato paste, and uncooked macaroni noodles.
Chop your onion into small pieces, enough to make 1/2 a cup. Chop your green bell pepper. Again, you will need 1/2 cup. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a skillet, then place it over medium heat and saute your 1/2 cup of onion, 1/2 cup of green bell pepper, and one minced garlic clove until brown. Add one-pound of ground beef and 1 cup of chicken. Cook until done – about 5 minutes. In a large saucepan, add your meat mixture, 2 tablespoons of chili powder, 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, two 14.5 ounce cans of diced tomatoes, and one 6 ounce can of tomato paste. Bring your chili to a boil then reduce the heat and let it simmer for a couple of hours. Right before you serve it, turn up the heat again. Once it begins boiling, stir in 2 cups of uncooked macaroni. Let that cook for 10 to 15 minutes until tender.
To go with your chili, you may want to make some corn fritters. For this, you will need all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, milk, eggs, margarine, and one can of whole kernel corn.
In a medium sized bowl, combine 1 cup of all purpose flour, 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Add 1/2 cup of milk, 1 beaten egg, 2 tablespoons of margarine, and 1/2 can (drained) of whole kernel corn. Mix well. In a deep fryer set to 365 degrees, drop tablespoons of the batter (four or five at a time). Cook for five minutes or until brown, occasionally turning to make sure each side is cooked. Drain on a paper towel and enjoy with your Rattlesnake Chili!