Southwestern Chili with Bison Meatballs

I’m thrilled  to announce that I am guest hosting at Bam’s Kitchen today.  Many of you are familiar with Bobbi and I know you love her recipes.  She’s all about nutrition and specific dietary needs and has something for everyone.  Along with her delicious dishes are beautiful pictures of Hong Kong and great stories of her adventures as an American living in such a vastly different culture.  There is always something new to learn when you visit.

I hope you’ll pop over there to see my chili recipe because,  along with being a little out of the box, it’s super delicious!  I don’t know how many of you have tried bison before but I’m here to tell you – it is becoming very popular because it’s a healthier red meat and I’m guessing you’re going to love it too.  So come on over and tantalize your taste buds with me.  See you there!

First of all, I have a confession to make – I am a chili addict. A happily addicted chili enthusiast who will try almost any kind I come across. I’ve been pondering a new chili recipe since late summer but nothing original came to mind until I visited a local farm where I came across some bison meat and this dish was born.

Now if you’re a little shy of trying bison, no worries, you can easily substitute beef or turkey. Actually, I mixed a little ground turkey with the bison as well but I thought it would make the title even scarier to some!

I’ve been reading so much about bison meat lately and I was long overdue from giving it a try. Bison meat is a nutritionally superior red meat. It is natural without growth hormones, steroids, drugs or chemical residue. It is also extremely low in fat with 1/3 less fat than beef. A single serving of bison provides much of your daily protein, iron and zinc requirements, plus most of the antioxidant selenium your body needs each day.

Bison are raised and processed without additives, preservation, steroids, growth hormones or drug residues. Bison spend the majority of their life grazing on forage and some producers finish their bison on grass while others finish on grains.   It tastes much like beef but slightly sweeter and richer.

Have I made my case yet? Many grocery stores are carrying it now but, depending on where you live, you may have to search a little to find it.

The meatballs are packed with loads of flavor and baking them makes for a healthier dish.   I had some meatballs left over that went into the freezer so now it`s time to think up another recipe where I can use them. I welcome any suggestions. After all, it took me 3 months to come up with this one so I need all the help I can get!

If you are vegetarian or vegan, just omit the meatballs. The chili has a little bit of heat and lip-smacking deliciousness of the Southwest and I added some chipotle peppers in adobe sauce for good measure.

The readers on my blog will tell you that I insist on fresh herbs in my dishes and this is no exception. The fresh oregano in the meatballs made such a difference and you wouldn`t want to miss out on that extra bit of flavor.

I hope you enjoyed my Southwestern spin on chili today. It`s been such a pleasure to bring you one of my dishes. Thanks, Bobbi!

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