Well my roommates and I can't take it anymore....the food here sucks....plain and simple....it's not healthy nor is it right to have to run to the bathroom 5min after eating the caf food because you're not sure which end it's coming out of, all you know is that it's coming out.

Seeing as the food here sucks ass, we've all decided to pitch in a few bucks every Friday to cook a meal in the dorm room kitchen that rarely ever gets used.  We tossed around a few ideas and the two things that came to mind were chili and gumbo.  I figured I'd ask ARFCOM for some suggestions for recipes for either one.  I've never made gumbo before, but I've had some pretty damn good chicken, sausage, and crawfish gumbo before .  If we make gumbo it'll be without the crawfish .

I have the one gumbo recipie from the tacked threads, how hard is it to make this one and is it pretty good?

Get a large crock pot and add.

2 lbs beef, browned (ground or stew)
2 cans kidney beans
2 cans chili beans
4 cans of diced tomatoes  (I usually also add a can of hot rotel as well)
two packs of chili powder  (check the pack and see if it is for 1 or 2lbs of beef)
if you want dice an onion
You can add some water if you want.
Add more heat if you want.  I like dried cayenne.

Do this in the am and it will be ready for dinner.

If you watch your local grocery store you should be able to catch the store brand tomatoes for .50/can and the beans for .65/can.  If you can get the meat on sale you should get it for 1.75/lb to 1.99/lb.  This makes a bunch of chili for less than $10.

Get same large crock pot and add.

2 lbs beef, browned (ground or stew)
2 cans corn  (I use one white and one yellow)
2 cans kidney beans
2 cans chili beans
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can rotel
2 cans diced potatoes
pack of chili season
pack of ranch dressing powder
water to fill up crock pot

4 to 5 hrs and it's ready to eat.

If you want to eat cheap then get a 25 lb bag of pinto beans and a 50 lb bag of rice.  That'll give you the base for both chili and gumbo.  Here's my normal chili recipe:

1 lb dried pinto beans
2 lbs ground beef
1 big can tomato sauce
1 big can diced tomatoes
1 yellow onion
1 green bell pepper
1 clove garlic
chili powder

The night before you make it let the beans soak in a pot of water.  Change the water in the morning.  Before you cook the beans change the water again.  Bring the beans to a boil for a few minutes and then drop the heat to a simmer.  Cover them and let them simmer for a couple of hours.  Brown the ground beef.  Drain and combine it with the cans of tomatoes.  Dice the onions, garlic and peppers.  Saute the onions and peppers.  When the onions are translucent add the garlic and cook for another minute or so.  Add it to the tomatoes and beef.  When the beans are softened up nicely drain them and combine everything.  Cover the chili with chili powder.  Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer for an hour or two.  You can also put everything in a crock pot and let it cook in there for several hours.

Do you know how to make roux? Can you buy pre-made roux in a local store?

Chicken and sausage gumbo:
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You need:

flour
oil
onions
chicken
sausage
onion tops ( or green onions, or shallots )
salt
pepper

Step 1: Make the roux.
Combine roughly equal parts flour and oil in a skillet. Stir constantly under high heat until
the flour takes on a color similar to an old penny. Remove from heat and continue to stir. Do not allow the flour to sit until cools sufficiently, or it will scorch and taste terrible.

Step 2: Gumbo
Dice approximately 1 large onion for every 2 quarts of water.
Put water in a pot and bring to a low boil. Add onions. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Boil until onions are translucent. Add roux. I don't know an exact measurement, but
I'd guess 1-2 ounces of roux per quart of water. Probably closer to an ounce... Boil
for a few minutes and stir until roux is completely dissolved. Add chicken. Boil for
30 minutes or so. Add sausage. Boil for 30ish minutes, then reduce heat to a simmer.
Add diced onion tops. Simmer until chicken falls apart. Skim grease off the top. Serve over rice. Enjoy

Sam

Red Chili

¼ pound bacon
1/2 cup bacon grease (from cooking the bacon)
2 1/2 -3 pounds lean red meat, cubed (1/2-3/4 inch)
3 cups tomato salsa
3 cups beef broth
1 27 oz can Kidney beans, drained and rinsed (optional)

Fry, bake or microwave the bacon until crispy.  Place bacon on a plate to cool.  Pour off and save the bacon grease.  In a fry pan, brown the meat in 2-3 batches in some bacon grease.  Place the browned meat in a large cooking pot/Dutch oven.  De-glaze the fry pan between each batch of meat with 4-6 oz of beef broth and pour the liquid into the pot. Pour any remaining broth into the pot.  Chop the bacon fine.  Add the bacon and salsa to the pot, stir.  Bring the pot to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a slow boil, cover but with a small gap, stir occasionally, until the meat is tender, about 3 hours. Add some more broth or water, 2 oz at a time, if the chili becomes too thick. Add beans, if you have to, after 2 hours.  Adjust seasonings (salt), stir, serve.  Serves 4-5.

Notes:

Go to your favorite greasy spoon mex restaurant, they will have chopped (not ground) beef and bacon, ask for the correct amounts and have them grill it.  Take it out with a togo container.  They will charge about $5 per pound.

Get the salsa at the store (24 oz.)

A sub for broth- use 3 beef boullion cubes and 3 cups of water.

Beans will add 2 more servings.

ETA: Use a water based hot sauce (like Tabassco) the last 10 minutes to get the hotness you want.

good luck

gumbo, I grew up on the stuff.....it's a versitile, put "what ya caught in it" dish.

you might want to consider adding jambalaya to the list - it's a one pot dish that is easy to make.

re: gumbo
Gubmo's are typically made with a dark Roux(there are light and dark roux's).  Dark rouxs take some time to prepare so make sure there is enough beer handy to keep you going for about 1 hour, roux's need alot of attention(stirring) to keep from burning. Remeber, the roux is critical, and most importantly don't burn the roux, it will ruin your dish(to tell if a roux is burnt look for black specs(it's burnt flour)), if you think you burnt it throw it out and start over.you'll want to use a heavy dutch oven to make the roux, they hold heat better. Add the flour to the heated oil(medium high heat) gradually, stirring constantly, don't miss stirring any part of the bottom of the dutch oven or it will burn. If the dutch oven is too hot you'll get smoke, stir faster and reduce the heat until it stops smoke. Continue cooking the roux until it is the color of a dark chocolate. at that point your ready to start adding the other ingrediants. Oh, one word of warning, do NOT accidently splash or spill it on you while cooking - it burns like fire. Roux's store well in the frig for several weeks.

As for the gumbo itself, like i said its a "what ya caught" dish, there are about as many recipes out there as there are meat sources. I grew up hunting and fishing, and have eaten, shrimp, crab, seafood, chicken, suasage, goose, duck, pork, squirrel, rabbit, alligator, etc....even had nutria. I'm not sure where you're located but if you have access to goose or duck, they make a fine gumbo - if not, chicken fits well into the college student budget.


simple gumbo recipe, chicken and sausage(don't forget the rice)

   *  1 cup vegetable oil
   * 1 cup flour
   * 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
   * 1 cup chopped celery
   * 1 cup chopped bell peppers
   * 1 pound smoked sausage, such as andouille or kielbasa, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
   * 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
   * 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
   * 3 bay leaves
   * 6 cups water
   * 1 pound boneless chicken meat, cut into 1-inch chunks
   * 1 teaspoon emerils Rustic Rub or
   * 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
   * 1/2 cup chopped green onions
   * 1 tablespoon filÈ powder(if you can get it)

Combine the oil and flour in a large cast-iron or enameled cast-iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Stirring slowly and constantly for 20 to 25 minutes, make a dark brown roux, the color of chocolate.
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Add the onions, celery, and bell peppers and continue to stir for 4 to 5 minutes, or until wilted. Add the sausage, salt, cayenne, and bay leaves. Continue to stir for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the water. Stir until the roux mixture and water are well combined. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.
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Season the chicken with the rub and add to the pot. Simmer for 2 hours.
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Skim off any fat that rises to the surface. Remove from the heat. Stir in the parsley, green onions, and file powder.
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Remove the bay leaves and serve over rice in deep bowls.
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Yield: 4 servings

I'm making chili right now for my roommates and some friends.  I just kind of make it up as I go every time and it always turn out good.

3 lbs. or so of ground meat...I use venison and/or elk, but whatever you have handy
couple cans of chili beans in spicy sauce
a can of dark red kidney beans
a can of pinto beans
a can of navy beans
a can of diced tomatos
a can of hot jalapenos, diced
a can of diced green chilis
a few tablespoons of diced garlic
and a big can of tomato juice

I brown the burger in the pot with some chili powder, and then dump everything else in and let it simmer for a few hours.  Then taste it and add some more chili powder if I feel like it.  Otherwise just put it in a bowl and throw in some oyster crackers and shredded cheese.

Think I'm gonna' use jj01's gumbo recipe this week at work.

Got some gator meat and some okra in the freezer that's going in the pot.

A lil' alligator gumbo and rice.

When I make chili I just buy several cans of beans of various sorts (red, navy, black), some tomato sauce, tomato paste, stewed tomatoes, green peppers, red peppers, stewing meat, sausage or hamburger, mushrooms (I like mushrooms they go in everything!), fry up the meats together with some chili powder, simmer that in some tomato sauce for a while, then put all ingredients together with more chili powder and cloves, cook it slow and simmering for over an hour. It's been a while since I've made it, but I think that's all I use.

GL

A super quick version of chili, which doesn't taste anywhere as good and probably shouldn't be called chili, exactly, is buy a can or two of chili beans and some spaghetti sauce. Heat and eat.