Slumgulion

One of the first dishes I ate with Ed and his parents was slumgulion. Slumgulion is actually defined as a stew with meat and potatoes. Ed's grandfather originally came up with the dish in the 1940's using things he just happened to have in the pantry. The dish morphed over the years into a very specific dish that I now cook for Ed and the boys at least once a month. My mother-in-law and I both use this dish as a standby for company.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb ground sirloin
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, or 2 tsp minced garlic
3 Tbsp chili powder
1 cup red wine
salt
pepper
2 cans pinto beans with jalapenos
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can rotel tomatoes with chilis

Brown the ground sirloin, adding the chili powder while the meat is still pink. This sounds like an insanely huge amount of chili powder, but it is necessary to get the right flavor for the dish.

Meanwhile, add the olive oil to a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, and green peppers and cook until soft. Add in the ground meat and the red wine. I usually use whatever kind of red wine I have in my kitchen. Merlot or Shiraz work well, but really, whatever you have will be delicious. When I first learned how to make this dish, it was made with a "punch" of salt (roughly a tablespoon). I don't think the dish needs that much salt, so I use about a teaspoon. You can always add more salt later if you think the dish needs it. Let this simmer for about 5 minutes while you open all of the cans.

Drain the juice off of the beans only. Add in the contents of all of the cans. Stir to combine and put the lid on the pot and cook at medium heat for 10-15 minutes. Turn the heat down to low after the slumgulion has come to a good boil and stir again. Serve with cheese and crackers.

We frequently use sharp cheddar sliced or grated with whole wheat saltine-type crackers.

This dish easily serves 8, or 4 with plenty left over for another meal.

This is an easy way to sneak in alot of vegetables to unsuspecting munchkins. Mine love it!