This month, we are bringing you some food favorites of our own Jamie Charlton!

Jamie is the founding partner and CEO of Saxon Financial Services. He graduated from the University of Michigan in ’98 and has been in the Financial Services industry ever since. Did we mention he’s a Wolverines fan?

When it comes to eating out with the family, The Silver Springhouse is the place to go. “If we have kids, it is an easy decision as we are usually coming from a ball field or a gym. We like it because the atmosphere is fantastic, especially in the summer time, allowing for a relaxing place to take the whole family. We really don’t have a favorite dish because we like chicken and you have a hard time getting bad chicken at the Springhouse, thus we like most everything!”

Need directions?

At home, he enjoys making big family meals and his Homemade Texas Chili pairs perfectly with fall weather and football season! “It is a great family activity because the kids each have a task. As it cooks, we head out to rake the leaves and just as the Michigan game is about to start we all come in, grab a bowl to warm up and have a great time cheering the Wolverines to victory!”

For the recipe, Jamie doesn’t really measure and ultimately it’s all up to his taste buds, but below you’ll find the recipe for his Homemade Texas Chili. The amounts of each ingredient are really up to you!

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 1lb ground beef
  • 1lb spicy sausage
  • diced onion
  • a few cloves of chopped garlic
  • 2 cans of red kidney beans
  • 2 cans of red chili beans
  • 2 cans of stewed tomatoes
  • 1 can of diced tomatoes
  • 1 chopped bell pepper
  • a container of mushrooms
  • 1/2 a jalapeno
  • 1 1/2 cup of chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons ancho chili pepper
  • Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
  • yellow mustard
  • brown sugar
  • Worchestshire Sauce

 

Here’s how Jamie does it:

  1. Brown 1lb of ground beef and 1lb of spicy sausage – you can pick the spice level – at the same time, make sure to include a diced onion and a few cloves of garlic. (Stirring the meat while browning is a great task for a child).
  2. Once the meat is browned, everybody else jumps into the pool! Add 2 cans of red kidney beans, 2 cans of red chili beans, 2 cans of dark red kidney beans, 2 cans of stewed tomatoes, and 1 can of diced tomatoes. (The kids love to open the cans with an old fashion can opener).
  3. Add 1 chopped bell pepper (I use red because it blends in and the kids don’t see it), a container of mushrooms, and 1/2 a jalapeno. (Chopping is a great activity for an older child).
  4. Now is the time where measuring goes out the window and cooking to taste begins!
  5. Add a 1 1/2 cup of chili powder, 2 table spoons of ancho chili pepper, 5-10 dashes of Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, a long squeeze of yellow mustard, a handful of brown sugar, 5-10 dashes of Worchestshire Sauce.
  6. The best part is to taste as it cooks and adjust your flavor accordingly. Add more chili powder for spicy, sugar for sweet.
  7. Last step – get a bowl of chili, top with cheddar cheese, sour cream and get a bag of Frito Scoops instead of a spoon and enjoy the game!
  8. For adults, a nice red wine or lager complete the meal!

 

Can we have game day at your house, Jamie? Sounds like there’s good food and good times to go around!