Rebecca Nielsen's Recipe

Beef Chili with the Works

Category: Beef

Serves/Makes: 2 1/2 quarts
Difficulty Level: 2
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 1/2 hours

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. ground sirloin
1 T ground cumin
1 T ground coriander
1 T dried oregano
3 T good olive oil
2 medium vidalia onions finely chopped
1 orange bell pepper, medium chopped
8 cloves garlic - grated on microplane
2 T chili powder (or more if you like it hot)
2 t kosher salt
1 t ground black pepper
2 14 ounce cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 14 ounce cans diced tomatoes w/mild chilis
1 14 ounce can tomato sauce
1 15 ounce can red kidney beans (drained)
1 15 ounce can white cannellini beans (drained)
1 14 ounce can whole kernel corn (drained) or 2 cups frozen corn

Directions:

In medium sautee pan brown ground beef breaking up meat well. Drain. Put back in pan and add cumin, coriander, oregano and 1 t of the salt. Stir spices in with meat over med heat for 2 minutes.

In 4 quart sauce pan or dutch oven add olive oil, chopped onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook over med low heat til softened (about 4 minutes). Do not let garlic burn or it will turn bitter. Add chili powder and remaining salt and pepper. Mix.

Add ground beef mixture to onion mixture in dutch oven. Over medium heat stir to combine well. Pour in all cans of tomato product and stir well. Add beans and corn. With large wooden spoon stir all ingredients to evenly distribute. Bring to boil.

Turn heat down to low and simmer chili about 2 hours or until tomato liquid is almost gone and chili is real thick. Stir from the bottom of the pan every 6 or 7 minutes.

Garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream and chopped scallions.

Cooks Notes: My husband is a real meat and potatoes man and doesn't like to "drink" his chili. The first time I made this for him he lit up like a light. I didn't even get a chance to make the cornbread for him. It is a meal in a bowl. If you do decide you want cornbread with your chili try Paula Deen's Corny Cornbread. It is available at Foodnetwork-dot-com. Enjoy the chili.