Tessa’s Tips – Spicy Comfort Food Comes Home for the Holidays

Spice up the holidays this year!

Around the world people look forward to celebrating the holidays with friends, family, and food – often comfort food.  Ever thought about using chili peppers to boost your favorite comfort food this holiday season? Adding a little extra spice will take your food from one-dimensional to multi-dimensional.  There are more than 30 different varieties of chilli peppers, each with their own unique flavor and heat.  There’s even a way to officially measure the spiciness of a chili pepper – it’s called the Scolville scale.  Sweet bell peppers start at zero while habaneros can push 300,000. 

It’s fun to experiment with using different kinds of peppers.  You can adjust the flavor and spice level by layering the dish with roasted, pickled, and fresh peppers.  But remember, as with most spices, a little goes a long way. 

Here are a couple suggestions for traditional holiday favorites to get your creative juices flowing:
Green Bean Casserole: Add a little roasted poblanos with the cream of mushroom soup.
Cornbread Stuffing: Opt for something more interesting than your typical cornbread by including chipotle peppers.
Filet of Beef: Create a simple, tasty dry rub with smoked paprika, onion powder, chili powder, garlic and salt and pepper.
Pasta dishes: Consider adding dry hot chilis to punch up most any pasta recipe.

We all love the comfort and joy around the table this time of year. Flex your culinary muscle to make this year that much more merrier!

Share your favorite way to use chilis  – we’ll choose a handful of folks to receive a coupon for a free bowl.

Happy Holidays!