Chili

I’ll admit right off that I just wing it with my chili and it’s done when I like how it tastes. I start with the basics and go from there. And it also depends how much you want to make. I tend to make it in my 7 quart crock pot so we have leftovers or I freeze whatever is left. Great to pull out when I know a snow day is showing up.

1 pound ground beef, cooked and de-greased

Beans drained and rinsed, a mixture of a couple cans of whatever I feel like…light or dark kidney beans, Northern, Cannellini, Navy

1/2 to 1 onion diced, depending how much you like onions

Tomatoes, a couple cans of diced and petite diced, pour it all into pot

salsa, small jar

Tomato juice or V-8 (10-20 oz)

chili powder to taste (Alternative is Wahoo chili mix by Pampered Chef which is what I always use. If you don’t have a PC person you can find it online or on eBay)

cocoa powder, maybe 1-2 TB for a large batch. You want just enough to smooth out the flavors.

I used to make my own salsa and would can the leftover juice to use in my chili; I’ll have to see how I tweak my recipe now that I’m out of chili juice.

Combine everything cook on low or medium until hot. Might need more or less time depending the size of pot you’re using. If cooking in a crock pot you can have it hot early and then switch to keep warm to let flavors meld.

Note: I love cooking in enameled cast iron since you can put the pot or braiser in the fridge. You can prep a soup the night before so the flavors combine, and remove from fridge 30-60 minutes before you need to start heating it (keeping in mind it will take longer for the soup to get hot since its cold). This lets the pan not be so cold when the heat hits it. Start off on low and increase to medium when pot has warmed. If you’ve heated the soup and want to save it for the next day, let the pot cool to the touch before putting it into the fridge.

You can buy cheaper brands that will work fine, some better than others. I try to find deals on LeCreuset, or older Belgium and French made brands. They are lighter weight and tend to not chip if well-cared for.