The chili beef n’ beans staple of the old west has undergone many new ingredient renditions through the years! With some more timid tummies out there just not doing well with beans, the cowgirls offer up their own new chili version, rich with lentils and sausage. Still tastes like a good chili should but lentils are just plain easier to digest. Your bean be-gone chili lovers will love you as much as the chili! Named after a neighboring all duffer who borrows everything from the Cowgirl Ranch…including dinner.
The seasonings combine the best of what makes chili good and it cooks in an hour. Even richer if it just sits there simmering for longer or is cookin' away in a crock pot all day till the dinner bell rings.
- A chili seasoning packet with a hand blended selection of dried herbs & spices & chilies
- Has a low salt content and NO gluten, filler or artificial ingredients
- Calls for the addition of 2 fresh ingredients (sausage, onion) and canned beans, tomatoes and chilies
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Cooks in one hour or less from start to delicious finish
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Makes 6 hearty servings ~ is even better the next day and freezes well
- Features a colorful package original design of the friendship that comes from lentil handouts
The whimsical Cowgirl Ranch story on the package features a neighboring old geezer who borrows not only “things” but also dinner:
Lend Me Lentil
“The cowgirl’s neighbor, a little old man, was always asking to borrow something! Each day he was on the doorstep asking to "Lend me a shovel, lend me your work horse, lend me your wheel barrow " .... Since he was a nice old man the cowgirls always did lend him what he asked for and most often it was used and returned in good order.
But it was getting a little old. Especially when the "lend me" was food which of course was not returned! That old geezer could smell a pot of chili a mile away! It was his favorite of all the "lend me-s" The cowgirls decided to play a trick on their old friend and made up a pot of chili using lentils instead of beans. Sure enough, here he came, tin plate in hand!
Since his eye sight was fading, beans and lentils looked pretty much the same on that tin plate. While they eagerly watched for a reaction, the old guy literally inhaled that plateful and asked for more! "Best chili you girls ever made!" he commented as he shuffled away. Then with a twinkle in his eye he said, "And you do know that them lentils don't have the same effect as beans that make you ... well... you know!" The cowgirls laughed, how could you not just love a lentil hearted old guy!?”
Recipe for Lend Me Lentil Chili
What you need to make the chili:
4 oz of good wine for the cook!
1 small onion chopped (approximately 1 cup)
1 1/4 cup lentils, rinsed and sorted for any foreign material
3 cups of water
14 oz Polish kielbasa smoked sausage, cut in thin rounds
1 can (15.5 oz) diced tomatoes undrained
1 can (15.5 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 can (4 oz) diced, mild green chili peppers
Herb/spice packet (The special part of the whole thing
Just how you make the chili:
Pour wine in a nice glass and slowly sip as you proceed…
In a 4 qt. soup kettle, saute chopped onion until onion is translucent … about 5 min.
Rinse the lentils and get rid of any foreign stuff that doesn't look like a lentil. Usually lentils are pretty clean!
Add the lentils to the soup kettle with the onion and 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil then cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Use this time to cut up your sausage and open cans.
When lentils are almost tender add diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, diced chilies and sausage to the kettle. Dump in our special seasoning packet and stir the whole thing up a bit.
Bring to a boil then turn down and simmer covered for 40 min. until all the ingredients have a chance to party and mingle. Stir occasionally to avoid burning those little lentils.
Adorn your chili with chopped onions, shredded cheese, more diced chilies, sour cream, cilantro ...any or all!
Enjoy and maybe lend a little to a friend. Or just buy then a friendly packet of their own!