Friday, November 4, 2011

Chili




Today I made chili because I needed to make soup for my soup swap. I started this swap about three years ago with a group of ladies who I meet monthly for breakfast. We always make soup in either October or November to help stock our freezers with all sorts of yummy soup for our families. It was a way to make one large pot and get about 6 different types of soup to enjoy all winter long. I chose to make a chili that my mom used to make for me. I believe she got this recipe from my grandpa. It is the sort of chili that has everything but the kitchen sink. It is tomato base and very thick. My mom's version is a little different and I will post both recipes so you can see how I took her recipe and altered it to what I like. I am not the kind of person who can wing it in the kitchen but once I have a recipe I can tweak it here and there to what I like best. My mom likes her chili very spicy- whenever my husband thinks about my mom's chili he starts to sweat, seriously. I like mine with just a kick. Let me know what you think.









My mom only uses chili/pink beans in hers but this time I decided to put black beans and pink beans in because I like both. I also wanted you to know that I cut up all the stewed tomatoes with scissors in the can. I do this because I love the flavor of the stewed tomatoes but I don't like big chunks of tomato in my chili. Most people think it is strange that I add tomato soup but like I said it is everything but the kitchen sink type chili. I like it because it makes it slightly sweet.

Bonnie's Chili
2- 15oz cans of chili beans (rinsed)
1 1/2 lb ground beef
1 onion chopped
1 green bell pepper diced
1 jalapeno
1 can tomato soup
2 cans stewed tomatoes cut up
1 can tomato paste
2 cans tomato sauce
1 tbs cumin
2 tsp Oregano
2 tsp Basil
3 Tbs chili powder

I always following these ingredients but I change it slightly. I start with browning ground beef. I always season my meat with salt and pepper and herbs while it is cooking. I feel it makes the beef more flavorful. Then I add chopped onion, bell pepper and 1 jalapeno (like I said I only like a little kick so I add less than my mom.) Cook all of those until onions
are soft. While that is cooking drain and rinse the beans (I only use 2 cans of beans.) That is a very important. I made the mistake of not rinsing the beans and couldn't figure out why the chili was so thick. What I learned from watching a cooking show later was that the sauce they sit in is full of starch. I hate learning these lessons the hard way because food isn't cheap.

Add the rest of the ingredients and don't forget to chop stewed tomatoes before adding them- unless you like it that way. Add spices at the end. I eye ball the spices and then taste. I add about 2 tsp of basil and oregano. 1 tbls of cumin and about 3-4 tbs of chili powder. However, you may want more or less. I don't usually measure I just add it taste after it has been cooking and add more as it cooks. This time I add all spice and so far I think I will add that from now on. Like I said try it and change whatever you feel is you taste. My mom is still tweaking hers.







13 comments:

  1. Sounds yummy. I'm assuming you don't make yours in a crock pot?? I don't drain the beans for mine. It seems like I need that starch otherwise all the condensation from the crock pot makes it too runny.

    ~Brandi

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  2. It was quite delish...

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  3. hmmmm....No I never make it in the crockpot but I have thought about doing it. I think if you added tomato paste it may fix your problem. I usually cook mine on low for about an hour and then let it sit and cook more later. We just ate it for dinner and I was very happy with it. I think the all spice was a great addition.

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  4. I love this chili recipe! I have adapted it when I didn't have the right kind of beans and added different types of tomaoes, depending on which kind I had in stock. The video is of my daughter's statement how how much she loved the chili. I particularly love when she finishes with her camera on the dirty laundry, my favorite part! lol.

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  5. lol...thanks Petra. My favorite part is when she fell. She is too cute. I am happy to see you tried it and adapted it to what you had in your pantry. I hope you keep following and leaving me comments.

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  6. Andrea, have you tried crushed tomatoes instead of stewed? that's what I use in my chili. I don't like the big hunky tomatoes either, as my sister calls them :)

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  7. I've always used stewed because I love the taste of them but I am always willing to try something different. I just found another chili recipe and might give it a try soon.

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  8. Hi Andrea! I have 2 quick questions-
    How many people will your recipe feed? I have 15 guests.
    Have you cooked your recipe with chicken yet??
    Coco says Hi! :)
    Thanks Andrea!!

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    1. I would say it serves 8 nice size bowls of chili. I would double the recipe and you should have no problem. I have never done it with chicken but I have done it with ground turkey. Give coco a kiss from us. we miss her. Let me know how it turns out. Just remember the measurements of chili powder and cumin could be a little more. Don't be shy with salt and taste it and add more of what you think should be added.

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  9. Mmm, I love me some chili! :) I just don't like football!
    Goya beans are the best!

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  10. Great recipe. Something really to make and taste.

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  11. I just made this recipe last night for my office chili cookoff. I have never made a chili before and I like the tomato base of this one. I pretty much followed the recipe you used, but added a bit more Cumin and used 2 Jalapeno's and added a clove or two of Garlic. But it won the office chili contest and it was delicious. Thanks for sharing!!

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    1. Thanks Mitch for letting me know. You make it similar to how my mom makes it. I can't add that many jalapenos because my little guys don't like it too spicy. So cool to hear you won. Thanks for sharing with me.

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