Chili may not be the first thing you think of when you picture eating lunch aboard a starship, but Voyager’s head chef Neelix takes great pride in creating foods his shipmates find comforting and familiar, no matter what planet they call home. His foray into chili began as an experiment with classic American cuisine…and ended with several crewman in sickbay with heartburn! Luckily, the chili recipe I’m sharing here today has a spice factor that’s easy to customize, so you don’t have to worry about making an unscheduled trip to sickbay. 😉

Fun fact: this is actually my grandma’s chili recipe! Once I decided I wanted to make the Rodeo Red chili from the show, I knew right away this was the recipe I wanted to use. I’ve always loved it, and it’s super easy. It was a go-to cold weather dish for my family when I was a kid, and a lot of times my mom would serve it in delicious sourdough bowls (which is an addition I HIGHLY recommend). It’s actually not that spicy on its own, but I added a few extra ingredients (Tabasco, cayenne pepper, and red pepper flakes) to give it the kick you’d expect from Neelix’s super spicy chili. Enjoy…with some milk close at hand! 🙂

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Rodeo Red’s Red-Hot, Rootin’-Tootin’ Chili

Neelix: Lieutenant, thank God you’re here.
Paris: What seems to be the trouble?
Neelix: Well, one minute they were eating lunch, and the next they started perspiring and complaining of chest pain.
Paris [uses medical scanner]: Hmm. No wonder. Acute functional dyspepsia.
Neelix: What’s that?!
Paris: Heartburn…What did you feed them anyway?
Neelix: Rodeo Red’s Red-Hot, Rootin’-Tootin’ Chili.
Paris: * laughs *

— Star Trek: Voyager

 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 onion
• 1 green pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 15-oz can red kidney beans
• Tabasco sauce, cayenne pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes to taste

 

Makes 4 bowls of chili

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. 1. 1. In a large pot, brown the beef on medium heat and drain the fat. Coarsely chop your onion and green pepper and add them to the pot, along with the celery, chili powder, paprika, and tomatoes. Stir until well combined.
         
      2. Return to heat and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
      3. Stir in the kidney beans and allow to heat until warm. Stir in the Tabasco sauce, cayenne pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.
      4. Serve to your crew mates aboard a starship…but make sure they know it’s spicy first!

 

Check out my other Star Trek recipes!

Starfleet Punch from Star Trek

Star Fleet Insignia Cookies

Red Shirt Fruit Salad

Starship Enterprise Pizza from Star Trek

Romulan Ale

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