I apologize in advance for the bad subject line joke. Seriously though, coldest day of the year = day for chili.
This is one of those recipes I have continually added to/altered pretty much every time I’ve made it. I think I pretty much have it down, now, to something Tom and I both really love. I definitely think chili is one of those to-taste things, so while what I put in mine is pretty close to what is below, you should definitely play around with it to your own taste and season it as you go along. That’s one of the best parts of cooking–it’s pretty hard to have something taste bad when you can keep tasting it to make sure it’s good!
This is your very basic, no-frills chili. I love chili using beef roast, beer, chipotles, etc. But this is your run-of-the-mill, nostalgic, American chili. 🙂
Elly’s Chili
1.5 lbs. lean ground beef
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chili powder
1 Tbsp. cumin
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. oregano
1 (28 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5 oz.) can stewed tomatoes
2 (14.5 oz.) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies or jalapenos
1 can kidney beans (I know, not necessarily “traditional” but my favorite chili bean)
Tabasco to taste
pepper, to taste
Combine ground beef and onion in large stockpot over medium heat. Brown ground beef and drain fat. Add garlic and saute until fragrant.
Stir in chili powder, salt, oregano, cumin, tabasco, and tomatoes. Break up stewed tomato pieces as you stir.
Heat to boiling, then reduce heat to simmer, and cover. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Add additional spices, if necessary, to taste.
Stir in beans. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
Sometimes I like to add mushrooms in at the same time as the beans. It’s a little different than your normal chili, but we really like it!
Leave a Reply