An easy, adaptable recipe with an secret ingredient you probably have on hand
Who doesn't love a hearty bowl of chili with the temperature cools down? The great thing about chili is that not only does it hit the spot, it's also so easy and flexible. It's a pretty much fail-proof cooking project that can handle imprecision, substitutions, scaling up, and creativity with a lot of forgiveness. Here's my go-to take on it, think of it as a starting point rather than a strict set of rules to abide by. Except I do highly recommend adding the ketchup--it's my slightly strange secret ingredient but I'm telling you, a few squirts of the stuff will make a difference. I may be biased though, as someone who used to eat ketchup by the packet in elementary school. Anyone else with me or is that super weird?
Oh, and also, I think it tastes even better the next day. So it's great for make-ahead meal prep too!
Hearty Chili
Makes about 8-10 servings
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, chopped
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño chopped (optional)
2 pounds ground beef
2 tablespoons chili powder
3 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tsp paprika
¼ tsp cayenne
4 (14.5 ounce) cans diced or crushed tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
a few generous squirts of ketchup
5 (15 ounce) cans of kidney beans, loosely drained
3 cups frozen corn
pepper to taste
Some topping ideas for serving: sour cream or greek yogurt, shredded cheese, green onions, cilantro, avocado, sliced olives, tortilla chips
Directions:
Sauté the chopped onions, garlic, and jalapeño (if using) with the tablespoon of olive oil in a large dutch oven or stock pot over medium high heat for about 5 minutes.
Add in ground beef, and continue to cook until it's browned, about 8-10 more minutes.
Add in all the other ingredients. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium low to cook for about 45-60 more minutes to thicken.
Enjoy!
Notes:
Like I said earlier, it tastes great the following day, so needless to say it stores well in the fridge. You can also freeze chili and just defrost in fridge before reheating.
You can use other types of beans just as well as kidney beans--I like to use a three-bean blend of kidney, black, and pinto beans.
Try adding a spoonful of cinnamon or cocoa powder to your chili for some subtle flavor shifts!
If using a ground beef with high fat content (like 80/20), you may want to drain out some grease after browning the meat, before adding other things.
You can also try using other types of meat instead of ground beef--sliced sausage, ground turkey or bison, or cubed steak are all good options.
You can also add more veggies (or even sub out the meat altogether)--diced bell peppers and zucchini work especially well.
If doing a vegetarian swap, try adding some quinoa to up the protein/heartiness.
A few more photos!
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