# Well, this chili is...meh. How to save it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 27, 2013, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-this-chili-is-meh-how-to-save-it/648566 "2013-01-27T23:18:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![papergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aca169/32.png) [@papergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papergirl)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-this-chili-is-meh-how-to-save-it/648566/1 "2013-01-27T23:18:28Z")
I made a black bean, sweet potato, chicken chili. Otherwise normal ingredients–onion, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, etc. And it’s okay, but nothing special…it has a very strong, spicy chili flavor, but not much to brag about otherwise. Maybe I’m just not hungry for it after looking at it all day; I’ll let it rest overnight before I doctor it further, but if anyone has ideas to make it more interesting, I’m game. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-this-chili-is-meh-how-to-save-it/648566/2 "2013-01-28T00:01:56Z")
I presume that garlic was included in that “etc.”? When I find my spicy dishes are lacking something I can’t put my finger on, it often turns out to be garlic. Have you made this recipe before? If so, how did it turn out then? ---
**Author:** ![papergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aca169/32.png) [@papergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papergirl)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-this-chili-is-meh-how-to-save-it/648566/3 "2013-01-28T00:03:20Z")
No, it’s a new one. I didn’t add extra garlic, although I usually do. That may be it…and more garlic certainly can’t hurt, right? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-this-chili-is-meh-how-to-save-it/648566/4 "2013-01-28T00:06:56Z")
My secret chili ingredient is mole paste, about two table spoons for a large pot of chili. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-this-chili-is-meh-how-to-save-it/648566/5 "2013-01-28T00:20:02Z")
Maybe it just needs a little salt. I like to add about a teaspoon of vinegar to chili, but I don’t know if that would work with chicken-sweet-potato chili. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-this-chili-is-meh-how-to-save-it/648566/6 "2013-01-28T00:20:44Z")
Lime juice could give a tart zing. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-this-chili-is-meh-how-to-save-it/648566/7 "2013-01-28T00:42:35Z")
Item the First - That ain’t chili. Item the Second - Garlic, No, more than that. Item the Third - Sweet potatoes? Really? Item the Fourth - Where are the peppers? Just chili powder isn’t going to cut it. Toss in a couple of diced habs, or at least serranos. It;s the sweet potatoes that are really throwing me here. Dump those, add some corn and you’d have a nice Southwestern Chicken Stew. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-this-chili-is-meh-how-to-save-it/648566/8 "2013-01-28T00:54:46Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Item the Third - Sweet potatoes? Really? Probably didn’t have any beets. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-this-chili-is-meh-how-to-save-it/648566/9 "2013-01-28T01:06:54Z")
> [@](#): > > Item the First - That ain’t chili. Well, it’s a really weird chili, at least. But we’re not here to critique the label, but the flavor. Oh, and to what **Manduck** said, I agree that even just a touch of cider vinegar can really help a chili out, too. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-this-chili-is-meh-how-to-save-it/648566/10 "2013-01-28T01:06:58Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Item the First - That ain’t chili. Really? You’re going to start all that bullshit again? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-this-chili-is-meh-how-to-save-it/648566/11 "2013-01-28T02:08:20Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Really? You’re going to start all that bullshit again? You have things you’re an unreasonable asshole about, I have things I’m an unreasonable asshole about. It’s the circle of Life. The price of Purity is purists. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![papergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aca169/32.png) [@papergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papergirl)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-this-chili-is-meh-how-to-save-it/648566/12 "2013-01-28T02:46:51Z")
Well, I had black beans, and I had sweet potatoes, and I’ve been seeing recipes around for quite some time for black bean sweet potato chili, and one thing led to another…no apologies here. I like my beans. It does have peppers, too, which are so standard to my chili that I consider them…well, standard, and didn’t think to mention them. It’s quite spicy-hot, actually more than I prefer. I’m a weenie so I use aleppo pepper plus various shaker-type peppers, but I do use plenty of heat. It’s just that it tastes so much like…chili seasoning, I guess. I think I should’ve used sausage instead of chicken, but I _always_ use sausage and I wanted something different. So…I got something different. Heck. I’m going to let it sit there and think overnight and we’ll see how it is tomorrow. With the addition of garlic, of course. ---
**Author:** ![papergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aca169/32.png) [@papergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papergirl)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-this-chili-is-meh-how-to-save-it/648566/13 "2013-01-28T02:49:36Z")
FWIW, the sweet potatoes are spicy roasted before adding them. Really? You guys have never heard of sweet potato chili? (Of course, maybe there’s a reason for that, heh. But I’ve seen it around for ages.) Anyway…all suggestions welcome, and thanks for the advice so far. ---
**Author:** ![Chipacabra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@Chipacabra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chipacabra)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-this-chili-is-meh-how-to-save-it/648566/14 "2013-01-28T03:14:46Z")
Well, without tasting it myself, my guess would be you want some more umami in there. I’d go with some Worcestershire sauce sauce or something. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-this-chili-is-meh-how-to-save-it/648566/15 "2013-01-28T03:23:03Z")
I had some great chili with butternut squash in it last week. Sweet potatoes would have been even better. No chicken, though, just beans. I sauteed a chopped-up onion with diced bacon until the onion was caramelized and added them to the chili at the end, which really helped the flavor. I’m a bacon purist. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-this-chili-is-meh-how-to-save-it/648566/16 "2013-01-28T03:28:19Z")
The sweet potatoes, especially prepared that way, sound interesting. And they are a natural part of Mexican and Mesoamerican cuisine. Does anybody remember when habaneros were supposed to be hot? But no, roasted dark red poblanos are what you need here for the flavor. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-this-chili-is-meh-how-to-save-it/648566/17 "2013-01-28T04:16:53Z")
Haven’t shared [this report of a yankee judging a Texas Chili Cook-Off](http://gunsnplanes.blogspot.com/2011/04/yankee-judges-texas-chili-cook-off.html) in a long time. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-this-chili-is-meh-how-to-save-it/648566/18 "2013-01-28T04:23:11Z")
Perhaps add some Canadian Bacon? Pineapple? Shrimp? ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-this-chili-is-meh-how-to-save-it/648566/19 "2013-01-28T23:01:26Z")
When in doubt add tomato sauce or maybe Rotel diced tomatoes or both. ---
**Author:** ![papergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aca169/32.png) [@papergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papergirl)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-this-chili-is-meh-how-to-save-it/648566/20 "2013-01-28T23:26:43Z")
I just added a big can of tomatoes and a good amount of garlic. It’s better than yesterday, at least, and I think once it simmers for a while it’ll be passable. Do you know what I mean if I say it tasted too raw? Maybe it just needed to simmer for another half-day or so. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-this-chili-is-meh-how-to-save-it/648566.md?page=2)