Ode to Chipotle

We love spicy food in our house.  High on the list is anything featuring chipotles.  But I have a bad habit of buying chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, using 1-2 for a recipe, and then letting the rest languish in my refrigerator until I wind up throwing them out weeks later.  It's not as if I don't enjoy chipotles, or don't have 10+ recipes that feature them, or don't plan out all my dinners a month in advance (true story).  I just keep forgetting about it.  With a new house purchase on the very imminent horizon, I made a resolution to be more consciously thrifty with my grocery store spending.  That means not purchasing superfluous ingredients that are just for garnish, wasting as little food as possible, and stacking up recipes with similar specialty ingredients.  


Today was the last in a series of recipes that use chipotles - this week has featured Roasted Sweet Potato Salad and Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes (also making the most of sweet potatoes.  see what I did there?) but I also considered a few of our favorites - especially Honey Chipotle Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches or Spicy Poblano Burgers with Chipotle Crema.  


I've had this recipe on my to-make list for a while but this was the perfect opportunity to go for it.  This was featured both in the New York Times several years ago and on Simply Recipes, one of my favorite recipe blogs.  


The verdict: very, very tasty with a good heat level.  We served this over my favorite baked brown rice and I hope to enjoy the leftovers tomorrow.

Chipotle Meatballs

(originally by Rick Bayless, adapted from Simply Recipes)

3 slices bacon, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced
2 eggs
1/2 cup breadcrumbs 
1 tsp salt

2 tsp ground oregano

1 tsp chipotle powder

1 lb ground beef
1/4 - 1/2 lb ground _____ 
(I used lamb, but pork would work too)
1 cup chopped onion
2 chipotle peppers, chopped 
1 tsp adobo sauce
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup chicken broth


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a food processor, combine bacon and 3 garlic cloves and pulse until chopped. Add eggs, breadcrumbs, salt, oregano, and chipotle powder and pulse to combine.  Add ground meats and pulse just enough to combine.  Form meat into 16 balls and place in greased baking dish.  Bake until lightly browned, about fifteen minutes.  While meatballs bake, saute onions over medium heat until just browned.  Add garlic and saute one minute.  Add chopped peppers, crushed tomatoes, and chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Simmer until meatballs are done cooking or until sauce is acceptably thick.