Recipe: Classic Hearty Chili (GF, DF)
It’s officially Fall which means it’s officially chili szn! To me, it’s hard to beat a hearty bowl of chili on a 55 degree Fall day. Here is how I make my chili, but what I love about chili is that you can really make it your own…you can use any type of ground meat you want, any type of beans you want, and as much or as little spice as you want. So while I’ll give you a blueprint for a perfect hearty chili, feel free to make it your own! Enjoy <3
Full Recipe:
This makes enough to have for lunches and dinners for several days. If you’re just making it for one or two people and don’t want to have much leftover, cut all the quantities in half. We make a lot because I love chili leftovers and can eat it all week, or because sometimes I’ll freeze half of it to have for future easy dinners!
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
2 Pounds ground beef
2 (15oz) cans Diced tomatoes
3 (15oz) cans Red Kidney beans, drained
6oz can/tube of Tomato paste
Veggies to chop/prep:
2 Medium-sized yellow onions, diced
2 Tbsps minced garlic
1 Bell pepper, diced
1/2 Cup celery, chopped
Spices:
1.5 Tbsp dried Oregano
2 Bay leaves
4 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 Tbsp Ancho Chile powder (where that’s the only ingredient, not another chili powder blend)
1/2 Tbsp ground Cinnamon
1/2 Tbsp Garlic powder
1/2 Tbsp Paprika
3 tsp ground Cumin
1/2 tsp ground Cayenne pepper (or more if you like it spicy)
Salt (to taste)
Optional toppings:
Sour cream
Cheddar cheese (grated)
Scallions
Corn tortilla chips
Sliced limes
Instructions:
In a large Dutch oven or heavy soup pot, heat the EVOO over high heat
Add the meat and, breaking up with a heavy spoon, cook until most of the meat is lightly browned (~5-8 minutes)
Add the following to the pot, stir to mix well, and cook for another ~10 minutes (continuing to stir occasionally throughout)
Onions
Garlic
Bell pepper
Celery
Tomato paste
All spices besides salt
Add the cans of diced tomatoes and bring to a boil
Reduce to a simmer and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally
Add the beans and stir
Now here’s where the real magic happens:
Add salt (I usually start with 2 tsps) and stir well
Taste your chili and adjust all spices as desired - feel free to add more salt, more cayenne for spiciness, cinnamon (or even sugar) for a little sweetness, more chili powder for a more robust chili flavor, etc.
This is my favorite part about cooking - you can taste and adjust as you go, and make it exactly to your specifications!
Once you’ve adjusted your salt, flavors, and spices to your taste, let everything sit in the pot simmering for another ~15 minutes
Serve with toppings like sour cream, cheddar cheese (grated), scallions, crumbled up corn tortilla chips, a squeeze of lime juice from a sliced lime, etc.
Notes:
For the meat: I use 1lb of the Force of Nature Ancestral Blend ground beef + 1lb of 90% lean grass-fed ground beef, but you can use 2lbs of any type of ground meat you prefer.
Tip: if you go with turkey or something less fatty, use 2 or 3 Tbsp EVOO instead of 1
For the bell pepper: I like to use 1/2 a red pepper and 1/2 a green pepper, but you can choose any colored bell pepper (or combo of colors) you prefer
For the celery: I don’t like big chunks of celery in dishes so I very finely chop mine, but you can dice/leave yours in bigger pieces if you prefer
For the chili powder: I like the Simply Organic Chili Powder because I’m a wimp when it comes to spiciness and this has a nice flavor without any spicy heat
Chili texture: I personally like my chili to be more thick/chunky with less liquid, but if you like a runnier/more liquidy chili, you can add a cup or two of chicken or beef broth/stock to the mixture (add as much or as little as you want for whatever texture you desire) after you add the beans
If you like corn or other veggies in your chili, feel free to add any extras at the same time that you add the onions, bell pepper, etc. to your pot!
