There are probably endless ways to make beef chili.
I mention beef because I’m also a huge fan of white bean chicken chili, but the chicken I had in my refrigerator is currently in my slow cooker for soup later.
As soon as the cold weather moves in, I’m making my go-to pot of chili and chicken soup. Just like my easy spaghetti and meatball recipe, this basic chili recipe can be enhanced to your liking.
Nothing beats a nice bowl of hot chili when the temperature outside is below freezing.
My basic chili starts with:
- 1 McCormick chili powder packet (I use the mild packet)
- 1 pound of ground beef
- 1 can of diced tomatoes (14.5 ounces)
- 1 can of black beans, drained
- 1 can of sweet kernel corn, drained
- ½ cup diced onions
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
In a large pot, over high heat start browning the ground beef and onions. Once the meat is cooked add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Lower the heat to medium-high and let everything simmer for 15-20 minutes, cover and stir every few minutes.
At this point it’s done, but I like to lower the heat a bit more and just let it cook a while more. The longer it cooks the more intense the flavor.
I like my chili served over white rice and topped with cheddar cheese, sour cream and a dash of hot sauce.
What I’ve done in the past to enhance this recipe is use ½ pound of ground beef and ½ pound of smoked beef brisket that I purchased from a local barbeque restaurant. Or ½ pound of pulled pork, ½ pound ground beef and one diced Andouille sausage for a spicier bite. I prefer black beans, but you could use kidney beans or both.
Again, I’m not a professional cook, just a mere house cook. Most of what I cook, I learned on my own in my teenage years when I lived away from home. I didn’t have food network to watch back then although you could watch a few cooking shows on PBS, so I learned by trial and error.
Later, I learned some recipes from my mom, especially how to make certain Cuban recipes. But even then, I would tweak them to suit my taste. I like a bit more heat in my food, mom doesn’t.
Do you have a favorite chili recipe? Let me know. Email me at: PattyL@brewermediagroup.com