4 aaron recipes

Hillbilly chili made the back-porch way: ground beef, pinto beans, crushed tomatoes, and a splash of jalapeño pickling liquid for kick. A no-fuss Appalachian-style chili finished with vinegar.

A hearty meatless chili with kidney beans, zucchini, green chiles, and brown rice simmered in a tomato base with cloves and vinegar. Even better the next day. Freezes like a dream.

Vintage Midwest Jell-O salad with lime gelatin, sour cream, crushed pineapple, pecans, and maraschino cherries. No baking required. Set, slice into squares, and top with whipped cream.

A flavorful rice dish combining chicken and smoked sausage, this is a Cajun brown Jambalaya, not the Creole red Jamba. No tomatoes or green pepper. This is the best Jambalaya you'll eat, I ga-ron-tee!