Homemade Chili

It's chili weather! If you don't already have a go-to chili recipe, this is a great one. It's fast and easy to put together. You can simmer it on the stove or toss in the crock pot: your choice.

When you come in out of the cold and smell this chili cooking, your day automatically gets a little better. :)

Homemade Chili

Yield: 4 to 5 generous servings

Ingredients:

1 pound of ground beef (I used 90% lean)
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced fine
2 tablespoons of chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 (28 ounce) can of whole tomatoes, undrained and coarsely chopped
1 (16 ounce) red kidney beans, rinsed and well drained
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and diced (you can add or substitute up to 1/4 cup chopped green chiles, jalapeno peppers, etc., depending on heat level desired)
3 tablespoons of tomato paste
Pinch of dried oregano
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Brown the ground beef and the onion in a 4 quart sauce pan or dutch oven until no longer pink; drain if needed. Add the garlic and saute for just a few more minutes. Stir in the chili powder and cumin. Add the chopped tomatoes and juice, beans, pepper, tomato paste and oregano; stir to mix. Add salt and pepper to taste.

At this point, cover and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, OR pour into a 4 to 5 quart slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours.

Serve with your choice of sides, such as cornbread or chips, and toppings, such as cheese, onions, sour cream, avocado, etc.

Adapted from Deep South Dish's Crockpot Beef Chili with Beans

May have been taken to some of these fun parties!