Growing up, I was the luckiest girl when it came to food. My family is full of recipes. From my mum’s recipes to my grandma’s recipes, I was surrounded by flavor and diversity. One that particularly stands out to me is Iowan Surprise–or simply “Surprise” for short. This one comes from my Grandma in Iowa. You’re probably asking, What is “Surprise” anyway? Well. it’s basically a special version of chili, if you want to relate it to another food. It’s a wonderful comfort food while being a great family meal. Plus, there is so much variation allowed in this recipe. There’s a meat version, a vegetarian version, a spicy version, a non-spicy version, and so on! I obviously had the vegetarian style, while the rest of my family had the meat version. All you have to do is leave out the beef. Let’s get to the recipe.
- 1lb ground beef (for meat version...obviously)
- 1 15oz can condensed cheddar cheese soup
- 1 15oz can enchilada sauce
- 1 large can of refried beans
- 1 4oz can chopped green chilies
- 1 bag tortilla chips
- 1 cup grated cheese
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- Guacamole or avocado
- 1 cup chopped lettuce
- Salsa
- Peppers (for spice)
- Brown the beef and drain the fat
- Add all the canned ingredients except the chopped green chilies
- Heat the ingredients through and then add the chopped green chilies right before you're ready to serve
- To serve, crush your tortilla chips up, then put the goop on top, and then add your toppings!
- If you like it to be spicier, add the green chilies earlier
Looks yummy in preparation for colder weather! Dunno if you avoid soy, but I put soy chorizo in my veggie chili and the consistency is awesome. (I brown it a little first before adding it to the mix).