Chase away the chill

WITH THESE VIBRANT CHILI RECIPES

By GRETCHEN McKAY

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS) T here’s something about fall that just calls out for a great, big, steaming bowl of chili.

And it’s not just because it’s beginning to get cold outside, though it’s true we start to crave warm, comforting dishes when the weather forecast calls for pulling on a jacket instead of shorts.

Rather, I think it’s because we have a natural tendency to want to hunker down and fill up on the carbs our bodies start craving – consciously or subconsciously – to help boost our moods when there’s suddenly less daylight.

Chili often is packed with hearty proteins like beef or equally nutritious beans, and you’ll also find highcarb veggies like carrots and sweet potatoes in the pot, too.

A proper bowl of chili, if done right, also is full of heat-forward spices like paprika, chili powder and crushed red pepper, which some say can release endorphins, the hormones that make you feel happy.

Chili might have been created by the Aztecs; others say it can be traced back to Texas in the 1800s, at least the meat version of the dish.

It’s fairly easy to throw together, which appeals to those of us who are suddenly feeling just a little bit lazier. Many recipes, in fact, are so easy that it’s the perfect food for a novice cook to make so long as he or she can measure and follow instructions.

A pot of chili also reheats really well after raking leaves or watching the kids run around on a soccer or football field, and it’s the one food that actually gets better a day or two after you make it because the flavors have had time to gel and soak together.

Here are three recipes you’ll want to try this fall – one made with beef, another with chicken and a third built just on vegetables – along with a recipe for homemade cornbread, which goes with every type of chili.