Best Chili North of the Texas Border Servings: 6–8 Ingredients · 2 teaspoons vegetable oil · 2 Large onions, chopped · 7 garlic cloves, minced · 3 pounds ground turkey (not lean) · 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes · 1 (12-ounce) can dark beer · 1 cup strong brewed coffee · 2 (6-ounce) cans tomato paste · 1 (14.5-ounce) can beef broth · 1/8 cup packed brown sugar · 1 Bottle Bennett's chili sauce · 2 Tblsp Chili powder · 1 tablespoon ground cumin · 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder · 1 teaspoon dried oregano · 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to taste) · 1 teaspoon ground coriander · 1 teaspoon salt · 4 (15-ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed · 2-3 Poblano peppers seeded, 1-2 jalapeno peppers seeded use four peppers altogether in any combination depending how spicy you want it). Directions Heat the vegetable oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the ground turkey and cook until it is fully browned, breaking it into small pieces with a spoon. Drain any excess liquid if needed. Stir in the diced tomatoes, dark beer, brewed coffee, tomato paste, and beef broth. Mix well until the tomato paste is fully incorporated. Add the brown sugar, chili sauce, cumin, cocoa powder, oregano, cayenne pepper, coriander, and salt. Stir until the seasonings are evenly distributed. Add 2 cans of the kidney beans along with the chopped chili peppers. Stir well. Bring the chili to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally. Stir in the remaining 2 cans of kidney beans and continue simmering, uncovered, for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend and the chili to thicken. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve hot with shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped green onions, or cornbread. Cook Along With Mitch Tip This chili tastes even better the next day! Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months. The coffee, cocoa powder, and dark beer work together to create a rich, deep flavor without making the chili taste like coffee or chocolate.

Starting in the Kitchen: A Beginner's Guide, Cooking with Confidence Learning to cook doesn't have to be overwhelming. Every experienced cook started by learning a few simple skills, and with a little preparation, you'll be creating delicious meals before you know it. One of the best ways to build confidence is to organize your kitchen, understand how your equipment works, and follow safe food handling practices. Start with Mise en Place One of the first lessons taught in culinary schools is a French term called mise en place (pronounced meez ahn plahs), which means "everything in its place." Before you begin cooking: Read the recipe from start to finish. Gather all of your ingredients. Measure ingredients before cooking. Chop vegetables and prepare meats. Set out your pots, pans, utensils, and measuring tools. Taking a few minutes to organize everything before you turn on the stove makes cooking less stressful and helps prevent mistakes. You'll spend less time searching for ingredients and more time enjoying the cooking process. Learning to Use Your Stove Your stove will quickly become one of your most-used kitchen tools. Electric Stoves Electric burners take a little longer to heat up and cool down. Start with medium heat unless a recipe says otherwise. Remember that the burner stays hot even after it's turned off. Gas Stoves Gas burners provide instant heat and cool quickly once turned off. Always check that the flame has gone out completely after cooking. Basic Stove Safety Never leave food cooking unattended. Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove. Keep paper towels, towels, and plastic away from burners. Use oven mitts when handling hot cookware. If grease begins to smoke, lower the heat immediately. Most beginner recipes cook perfectly over medium heat. Higher heat isn't always better and often causes food to burn before it's cooked through. Using Your Oven Your oven is perfect for roasting, baking, and finishing many dishes. Before You Begin Always preheat the oven to the temperature listed in the recipe. Place the oven rack in the correct position before turning the oven on. Avoid opening the oven door too often because heat escapes quickly. Oven Safety Always use oven mitts. Pull the oven rack out slightly instead of reaching deep inside. Keep children and pets away from an open oven door. Turn the oven off when you're finished cooking. If you're unsure whether food is done, use a digital instant-read thermometer rather than guessing. Safe Meat Handling Proper meat handling helps prevent foodborne illness. Before Cooking Wash your hands with soap and warm water before and after handling raw meat. Keep raw meat separate from vegetables and ready-to-eat foods. Use one cutting board for meats and another for fruits and vegetables if possible. Never reuse a plate that held raw meat unless it has been washed. Cooking Temperatures Use a food thermometer to make sure meat reaches a safe internal temperature. Chicken and turkey: 165°F (74°C) Ground beef, pork, and sausage: 160°F (71°C) Beef, pork, lamb, and veal steaks, chops, and roasts: 145°F (63°C) followed by a 3-minute rest. A thermometer is one of the best investments a beginner cook can make. Safe Food Storage Keeping food at safe temperatures helps prevent harmful bacteria from growing. Cold Foods Your refrigerator should stay at 40°F (4°C) or below, and your freezer should be 0°F (-18°C). Store: Raw meat on the bottom shelf to prevent drips. Dairy products refrigerated after use. Leftovers in shallow containers. Prepared foods covered tightly. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours after cooking (or within 1 hour if the room temperature is above 90°F). Most leftovers should be eaten within 3 to 4 days. Keeping Hot Foods Safe Hot foods should remain at 140°F (60°C) or higher until served. If you're serving food buffet-style: Keep soups and sauces warm in a slow cooker. Cover foods whenever possible. Stir occasionally to maintain even temperature. Never leave cooked food sitting at room temperature for more than two hours. Clean as You Go Professional cooks clean while they cook, and beginners can benefit from this habit too. As you cook: Wash measuring cups after using them. Wipe countertops regularly. Put ingredients away when you're finished with them. Rinse mixing bowls while food is cooking. Load the dishwasher as you work. A clean workspace makes cooking easier and cleanup much faster. Build Confidence One Recipe at a Time Every great cook started as a beginner. Focus on learning one new skill with each recipe, stay organized, and don't be afraid to make mistakes—they're part of learning. By practicing mise en place, using your stove and oven safely, handling food properly, and storing leftovers correctly, you'll build confidence every time you step into the kitchen. At Cook Along With Mitch, we're here to help you become comfortable in the kitchen with simple recipes, easy-to-follow techniques, and practical tips that make cooking fun and rewarding. So gather your ingredients, get organized, and let's start cooking!

Walking into a kitchen supply store for the first time can feel overwhelming. Rows of gadgets, dozens of pan sizes, and shelves of "must-have" tools can make you think you need to spend a small fortune before you can even boil water. The truth is, you don't. A well-stocked beginner kitchen can be built with a manageable list of versatile, durable basics. Here's what actually matters when you're starting out - by category so you know exactly what to prioritize first. Cookware: The Foundation A good chef's knife This is the single most important tool in your kitchen. An 8-inch chef's knife handles almost every cutting task — chopping vegetables, slicing meat, mincing herbs. Buy one quality knife rather than a full block set; you'll use it for 90% of your prep work. Cutting board Get at least one large cutting board (wood or plastic). A second smaller one is handy for keeping raw meat separate from produce. A stainless steel or nonstick skillet (10–12 inch) This is your workhorse pan for eggs, sautéing vegetables, searing meat, and more. Nonstick is more forgiving for beginners, especially for eggs and delicate fish. A medium saucepan (2–3 quart) Perfect for sauces, boiling small batches of pasta, rice, or oatmeal, and reheating soups. A large stockpot (6–8 quart) Essential for pasta, soups, stocks, and boiling larger quantities of anything. A baking sheet Useful well beyond baking — roasting vegetables, cooking bacon, or reheating leftovers in the oven. Utensils: Small Tools, Big Impact Wooden spoon or silicone spatula — for stirring and mixing without scratching pans Tongs — for flipping meat, tossing salads, and serving pasta A fish spatula or slotted turner — flexible and thin enough to flip delicate foods A whisk — for eggs, sauces, and batters A vegetable peeler — faster and safer than trying to peel with a knife A box grater — for cheese, vegetables, and citrus zest Measuring Tools Accurate measuring makes a big difference, especially in baking. Measuring cups (both dry and liquid versions) Measuring spoons A kitchen scale — not essential on day one, but a worthwhile upgrade once you start baking more seriously Prep and Storage Mixing bowls (a nested set in a few sizes covers most needs) A colander — for draining pasta and rinsing produce Food storage containers — for leftovers and meal prep Do You Need These Right Away? Not everything on a "complete kitchen" list is necessary for your first month of cooking. Here's a simple way to prioritize: Buy immediately: chef's knife, cutting board, skillet, saucepan, mixing bowl, measuring cups/spoons, wooden spoon, tongs Add soon after: stockpot, baking sheet, whisk, colander, storage containers Upgrade later: kitchen scale, specialty pans (cast iron, Dutch oven), stand mixer, food processor A Few Tips Before You Shop Prioritize quality over quantity. One good chef's knife beats a twelve-piece knife block full of dull blades. Multi-purpose beats single-purpose. A good skillet can sear, sauté, and fry. Avoid gadgets that do only one narrow task unless you'll use them often. You don't need matching sets. Buy pieces individually based on what you'll actually use, rather than paying for a bundled set with items you'll never touch. Secondhand is a great option. Cookware, in particular, holds up well used, and you can often find quality pieces at thrift stores or estate sales for a fraction of retail price. Final Thoughts Building a kitchen doesn't happen overnight, and it shouldn't. Start with the essentials, get comfortable using them, and let your growing cooking habits guide what you add next. The best kitchen tools aren't the ones sitting unused in a drawer — they're the ones you reach for every single day.

Golden, flaky baked butter biscuits, fresh from the oven with a buttery aroma that fills the kitchen. Each biscuit boasts a crisp, lightly browned crust giving way to soft, tender layers inside. Made with cold butter cut into flour for that signature flakiness, then baked until puffed and golden. Perfect served warm with a pat of melting butter, honey drizzle, or alongside soups and stews. Their rich, slightly buttery flavor and pillowy texture make them a comforting, versatile treat for breakfast, or brunch. Ingredients: 3-3/4 cups All purpose flour 6 Tsp. Baking powder 6 Tsp. sugar 12 Tbsp. Melted butter (I used salted butter) 3 cups Buttermilk Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Prepare a 9x13 baking pan. 2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. 3. Melt the butter in the microwave. 4. Add buttermilk to the flour mixture and fold together with a spatula until just combined. (Tip: keep two spatulas in a cup of water — the damp spatulas make the sticky dough much easier to work with.) 5. Pour melted butter into the baking pan, swirling to coat the sides. Add the dough to the pan and smooth it out with the wet spatulas. 6. Cut the dough into 12 biscuits. 7. Bake at 450°F for 15 minutes, until biscuits start to brown. Lower oven to 350°F and bake 7 more minutes. (Baking time may vary by oven.) 8. Remove from oven and enjoy

Creamy Baked Mac & Cheese – Comfort Food Made Easy There is nothing quite like a warm, creamy dish of homemade baked mac and cheese. It is one of those classic comfort foods that is simple to make, budget-friendly, and always a family favorite. If you are new to cooking, this recipe is a great way to build confidence because it uses basic ingredients and easy techniques that deliver delicious results. Mitch's MAC & CHEESE Ingredients: For the pasta: · 1 lb. cavatappi preferred(can use elbow macaroni) · 2 tbsp. olive oil For the Cheese Sauce: · 6 tblsp. (1 stick) · 6 tblsp. all-purpose flour · 2 cups 2% milk · 1 cup whole cream · 8 oz sharp white cheddar, freshly grated · 6 oz freshly grated medium sharp yellow cheddar · 4 oz additional grated gated yellow cheddar for topping Topping: · 1 cup Panko bread crumbs (plain bread crumbs work well too) · 2-3 tbsp. olive oil Step-by-Step Instructions: 1. Make the Roux: Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and let it cook for 1 to 2 minutes until it forms a smooth, slightly nutty-smelling paste (do not let it brown). 2. Build the Béchamel: Slowly pour in the milk and heavy cream while whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Let it cook for 5-8 minutes until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. 3. Season the Sauce: Remove the pot from the heat. Stir a pinch of nutmeg, salt, and black pepper. 4. Add the Cheese: Fold in the sharp cheddar, and yellow cheddar, leaving 4 oz of the yellow cheddar for topping Stir continuously until the cheeses are completely melted and the sauce is perfectly smooth. 5. Combine & Bake: Fold your cooked pasta into the cheese sauce until every noodle is evenly coated. Pour the mixture into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Top with additional cheese, and cover with breadcrumbs, Bake at 350°F (190°C) for 25 minutes until bubbling and golden-brown on top.