Exactly what I'm talking about. Thanks chloebud!

I wouldn't put all those different peppers in the same pot. Their individual flavors will get lost or muddy. OTOH, I agree that the maxibells sound perfect, though I've never cooked with them.

Do you have Bob Cville's "award winning chili" recipe? (or want it?)

Do you like hot sauce? If you're growing these and need to use them up, cooking down to hot sauce is efficient.

Here's my mother's poultry chili recipe (which works fine with beef or other meat as well). It's easy enough to adapt to fresh peppers, but you have to taste the peppers and decide for yourself how much of which to use. There's a big variation in heat depending on growing conditions, so recipes that specify a specific number are kidding you. As written, using dried, this recipe is pretty mild. With fresh it should have more of a kick. The quantities are for reference and this tolerates adjusting just about everything for taste and druthers.

JC"s Mom's Poultry Chili

Up to 1/4 cup ground hot red
chile (dry or fresh (mortar and pestle, preferred)--dry in this volume will make the chili very hot)

2 medium cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, finely chopped

1-1/4 tsp. dried or fresh Mexican oregano (different plant from regular oregano)

1/2 tsp. paprika (can substitute for fresh here)

1-1/2 tsp.
ground cumin

1-1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (can substitute fresh here, but you have to figure out how much to use by tasting)

2lb ground chicken

2lb ground turkey

2+ ends of wide sandwich loaves or equivalent, whole wheat preferred, dried, soaked in olive oil (drizzle enough to completely dampen)

Leftover veg (whatever needs using up). Also, a green pepper. Maybe extra onions and garlic. Whatever you feel like.

1 large (28oz?) can diced tomatoes or equivalent diced fresh roma tomatoes

1 small can or equivalent tomato sauce

small can V8 or equivalent (inc. salt)

1 c water

cooked and drained well pinto beans

Start aromatics in oil, add poultry, brown, add tomato sauce and spices, diced tomatoes, water, simmer, add beans, simmer.

Lots of stirring, tasting and adjusting.

I'm not interested in adding them all in one pot. Just offering that with which I have to work. I'd love Bob's recipe too, please.

I agree regarding NOT combining all the peppers. Also guessing you knew that. Just pick something you like for heat level and go with it. I'm pretty sensitive to heat, so Habaneros are out for me. My limit stops at about Jalapenos on the scale. Can't even chop one without gloves, or my fingertips will feel burned for a couple days. No problem eating a little, though.

"Just offering that with which I have to work."

That was my assumption, Rob.

I save the habanero for my honey haberno lime chicken.

But you're right, you better like it hot!

https://hilahcooking.com/honey-habanero-chicken/

;)

Sorry. I really didn't mean that I thought you didn't know what you were doing. I was just checking because it wasn't clear to me whether you had a mess of peppers in your kitchen that you wanted to use, if you were growing them all and wanted to use some, or if you wanted to make chili and could buy any of them.

I have some Hatch chilis I need to use and I can't decide between chili, salsa, soup and chilis rellenos.

The chicken recipe looks stellar. Habaneros are a pain (literally), but have such a great, distinctive flavor.

There's a version of Bob's recipe in this thread along with a bunch of other recipes from regulars. For convenience I'm posting the following, which is the version I have saved (only a little different. It has more beef, and maybe one or two other differences):

Bob_cville's Award Winning Chili

4 lbs Choice Angus Stew Beef
1 lb Smoked Sausage (chopped)
1/2 lb thick-sliced Bacon (chopped)
2 large Yellow Onions (chopped)
1 large Sweet Onion (chopped)
1 large Red Bell Pepper
2 Serrano Pepper (seeded and chopped fine)
1 Tbsp Oil
3 Tbsp Cumin
1 1/2 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 1/2 Tbsp Ancho Chili Powder
2 Tbsp Diced Pickled Jalapeno Peppers
1 Tbsp Crushed Garlic
1 tsp Black Pepper
2 15 oz cans Diced Tomato w/ peppers (drained, reserve liquid)
1 small can Tomato Paste
1 Tbsp Adobo Sauce
4 Chipotle peppers (seeded and chopped)
2 15 oz Bush's Chili Beans
3 15 oz cans Black Beans (drained)
1 15 oz can Small Red beans (drained)
2 12 oz bottles Dark Beer (porter or stout)
1.5 oz Lindt Dark Chocolate w/ Chili

Spread beef pieces on baking sheet and place in freezer for about 10
minutes. Place in batches in food processor and pulse several times until meat
is coarsely ground. Next in brown meat in large shallow pan over high heat in
smallish batches, deglazing pan with the beer between each batch, keeping
seared meat and the deglazing liquid in a glass bowl for later.

Next smoked sausage until lightly browned, and remove that meat to another
bowl. Then cook bacon until crisp, and remove to bowl with smoked sausage.

Then add the onions to the bacon grease and cook over medium heat until
onion is softened and translucent.

Start large pot with oil over high heat, add red bell pepper and serrano
pepper, stirring frequently until the peppers are browned and lightly scorched.
The add onions to large pot and add chili powders, cumin, and garlic stir in
well for a few minutes, then add tomato paste, pickled jalapenos, black pepper,
chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, stir and cook for a few more minutes.

Next add the diced tomatoes, all of the beans and the two bowls of cooked
meat, and any remaining beer, heat to simmering and reduce heat to low and
simmer for about 1 hour until the meat is tender. If the pot seems too dry
after it reaches simmering, add some of the reserved liquid from the canned
tomatoes.

Remove from heat, stir in chocolate, refrigerate overnight.

Reheat the next day to a low simmer, and serve with shredded cheddar on the
side.

I put a tsp or 2 of vanilla in my chili .... I get, 'what's that familiar flavor I taste ....'

One thing at a time. I used chloe's just now. It seemed "kitchen sink" enough for my objective today. I used a can of whole, diced, and sauce tomatoes. I used andouille instead of chorizo... It's freaking awesome! I did use the Mexibells and a dash of serrano.

I'll try more later. I'm saving Bob's for a time when I'm using prime ingredients. For instance.

I appreciate all the information. I can't wait to see if hints (like vanilla) will get me what I'm searching for. Happy, happy, happy!

Good to know, Rob! :-)

(can't stop "tasting" it) it's really good

save some for some jelly!