Straight from Denver’s TOCABE, an American Indian eatery, comes this authentic recipe for Green Chile Stew to spice up your Super Bowl party and cold winter nights. As a New England fan, we were crushed by the lackluster play action displayed by the Patriots yesterday as they battled the Broncos for the AFC championship. But, may the best team win, and the Denver Broncos are on their way to meet the Carolina Panthers at Super Bowl 50 in the San Francisco Bay Area on February 7th.
Football fans lucky enough to travel to Santa Clara’s Levi Stadium can warm up their tailgate parties with an easily transportable slow cooker of this unique green chili that combines mild and hot chiles with hearty potatoes and ground beef. Tocabe’s authentic American Indian recipe is the perfect dish for at home Super Bowl viewing parties as well.
Founded in 2008 and owned by Matt Chandra and Ben Jacobs, Tocabe is the only American Indian owned and operated restaurant in Metro Denver. The restaurant’s warm, open space features American Indian cultural elements and a contemporary design creating a welcoming ambiance.
Tocabe takes it origin from Grayhorse: An American Indian Eatery, which was established in downtown Denver in 1989 by the Jacobs family (tribal members of the Osage Nation). Tocabe uses some of the family recipes from Grayhorse along with additional Osage recipes to create a fresh take on American Indian cuisine. Featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives in 2012, Ben Jacobs has kindly adapted their Green Chile recipe for the home chef.

- 1 large potato
- 8 ounces fresh ground beef
- Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cups cold water
- 1/3 cup flour might need more depending on how much grease is in the meat
- 3 ⁄4 cup mild green chile such as Hatch or Anaheim chiles (prefer fresh, but can substitute with frozen or canned)
- 1 ⁄2 cup hot green chile such as Hatch or Jalapeño (prefer fresh, but can substitute with frozen or canned)
- 1 1 ⁄2 cups corn prefer cut off cob, but can substitute frozen or canned
- 2 teaspoons green chili powder* optional
- Grated cheese optional, we like cheddar
- Sour cream optional
-
Peel and cube the potato into 1/2 inch diameter pieces and set aside.
-
In a sauté pan on medium heat, cook the ground beef and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Breaking up the beef into bite-size pieces.
-
Cook the green chili powder, if you are using, into the beef.
-
While the beef is cooking, place 4 cups water in a stock pot with the potatoes and bring to a boil. Cook the potatoes until fork tender; do not cook until the potatoes mash.
-
When all the rawness is cooked out of the beef, turn off the heat. Slowly add the flour while mixing into the beef in order to make a roux. Mix the flour into the beef completely until no dry flour remains.
-
Once your roux is complete, add the cooked potatoes to the stockpot. Add the green chiles, corn, 1 teaspoon salt and 1-2 teaspoons black pepper, depending on your taste. Fully mix all the ingredients and place the stockpot back on the stovetop.
-
Heat up stew on medium heat, stirring occasionally. This may take up to 30 minutes or more. Feel free to add cheese or sour cream, if desired.
* If your market doesn't carry green chile powder, you can order it online at Savory Spice Shop or The Spice House.
TOCABE Locations
Denver:
3536 W 44th Ave, Denver, CO 80211
(720) 524-8282
Greenwood Village:
8181 E Arapahoe Rd, Greenwood Village, CO 80112
(720) 485-6738
Hours at Both Locations:
Monday – Saturday 11 AM – 9 PM
Sunday 12 PM – 8 PM
I’ll bet they’ll have the big game on, too!
We love hearing from our readers!