Chili

There are lots of good recipes for chili, and this is one of them.  This is my current favorite, though I have several different chili recipes that I rotate through the menu.  This is a basic bean and beef chili that we’ve really enjoyed this winter.  It also has a surprising ingredient (chocolate).  This afternoon, I made a big batch of this chili and put it in a large roaster to simmer.  We went Christmas caroling and I wanted it to be ready to serve when we returned.  I tripled the recipe and could have easily served about 25 people. I ended up feeding 18 people and still had left-overs for tomorrow (YEAH!) One recipe will serve 6-8.

Ingredients: (for one recipe of chili)

2 lbs. ground beef (I used lean ground beef and did not have any fat to pour off)

2 onions, diced

4-6 cloves of garlic, minced

2 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced

2 Tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons cumin

15 oz. can tomato sauce

3  – 15 to 16 oz. cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained (Light red or dark red or a combination)

1 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped

Dice the onion and jalapeno.  Be careful when handling the jalapeno peppers.  They can be very hot.  Wear plastic gloves to protect your skin.  Cut the peppers in fourths long-ways and remove the seeds then dice.  Though there are two jalapenos in this recipe, this is not a very spicy chili.

Brown ground beef with diced onion and diced jalapeno in a large pot or Dutch oven.

Cook until the meat is done and the peppers and onions are tender.  Add minced garlic at the end (since it burns easily) and continue to cook for a couple of minutes.

Drain any fat, then add the chili powder and cumin and stir to combine.

Add tomato sauce and two cups of water.

Let simmer for a few minutes, then add the rinsed and drained beans.  If you want, you can mash one of the cans of beans first for a thicker chili.  Continue to heat until chili is serving temperature.  Add the chocolate last and stir until it melts.

If you want a more “saucy” chili, add 2 cups or more of tomato juice.

The Christmas Caroling Crew at the last stop of the night.  Heading home to eat chili!