Grandmas Green Chili Potato Stew

We all have recipes handed down to us from our mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Whether it be your aunts super good chocolate covered peanut butter balls, or your dads perfectly broiled salmon. We all have those mouth watering family recipes. But you know what I realized? I hardly see anyone ever share them! We all know these passed down recipes are classics! Why hide them all to ourselves? I want my grandmothers recipe to be shared all around the world! So, CHEERS, to not hiding any more amazing secret family recipes!

When I was a child my parents would take me back home to my grandparents house in San Diego for Thanksgiving. In San Diego, it wasn't a traditional thanksgiving with turkey, my dads side of the family is Hispanic. So our Thanksgiving at my grandparents house was red chili enchiladas, blue corn tortillas, calabacitas, and what I'm about to share with you, Green Chili Potato Stew. 

I learned this recipe when I was 10 years old. It's one of the last Thanksgivings I spent with my grandma while she would still cooking. To ME this recipe was a classic. It is secretly my favorite, and as much as I would love to recreate it perfectly, I don't know if I will ever make it as good as my grandmother's

Here is my Grandmother Carmen's Green Chili Potato Stew! P.S. I am making this a little healthier-ish..

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Prep time: 20 minutes                Cook Time: 35-45 minutes               Serves: 4-6 People (Usually meant for                                                                                                                     leftovers, leftovers are always the                                                                                                                     best and you know it!)

Ingredients:

6 Russet Potatoes chopped in 1/2 inch cubes

1 Garlic Clove chopped

2/3 cup flour or Bisquick (Bisquick isn't too healthy, but oh my, is it amazing!)

1 med red onion diced

1 pound Ground Beef (I'm using organic ground Turkey)

Hatch Green Chili (I get mine mailed to me from Albuquerque, NM. Use how ever many you like, sometimes they are super spicy, and others are more mild, so it's truly your preference).

Salt and Pepper to taste

BONUS: 1 cup of corn (so this isn't in grandmas recipe, but I added it to mine, and IT'S AWESOME!

OK! Now I have learned (from trial and error) that cooking in a certain order is the only way this works. I can't reiterate enough, how many times my grandma explained how important it is to put in the flour BEFORE water is added.  Also, how you have to start by cooking the onions, then add the ground meat. SO follow this order.

Preparation/Cooking:

1) Take the hatch green chili's and wash off the roasted skin, and clean out the seeds. If you are not a spicy person, make sure ALL seeds are cleaned out. The seeds are the most spicy part of a chili pepper. Of course, there are a lot of reasons to spice up this meal, one being chili is really good for you, especially for your immune system.

2) Once the chili's are rinsed and the seeds are removed, you can cut off the stems and dice up the chili.

3) Next, in a 3-quart pot, turn the heat to medium. I added a little coconut oil then, added the onion, garlic, and sauté until onion becomes translucent.

4) Add the Ground beef (or in my case ground turkey)   cook until meat turns brown.  NOW, as my grandma would say " this is important",  add the flour a little at a time.

5) With a tablespoon,  sprinkle flour into the pot, stirring everything continuously, then add more flour. REPEAT THIS until the meat has a light coat of flour. Almost all of the 3/4 cup of flour.***

*** IF you want to be healthier you can add less flour, if you are Gluten Free you don't have to add flour at all.    NOTE: the more flour you add, the creamier and thicker the stew will be (again it is your preference on how much flour you would like).

6) Once the flour is mixed in thoroughly, you can add the potatoes, and then water.   NOTE: As far as how much water to add, its preference, do you like your stew thick and creamy? Or do you like more broth?

7) Bring everything to a boil, stirring frequently, then reduce heat. Let cook for 20-25 minutes. Then reduce heat again. Add Green Chili's and corn (if you want corn). Cook for another 10 minutes.

8) Add Salt and pepper to taste. AND ENJOY!!!!

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! I feel that more of us need to share our family recipes and share our heritage.

XOXO