I recently went on a trip for a little over a week and needed to make something would last Jasper for about as long. I knew that left to his own devices it would be mac-n-cheese or Chipotle for every meal, and I just couldn’t have that. So I decided to make him a big ol’ pot of chili. Funnily enough, even though it is one of Jasper’s favorite foods, I had never made chili before. I literally googled “best chili recipe” and came up with this one, which turned out great!
Ground beef and pork – ready for browning!
The spice mix – chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, coriander, sugar, and unsweetened cocoa (which I was really excited about, it added a nice richness and depth of flavor).
A rainbow of vegetables – I used red onions and assorted bell peppers from the CSA (the bell peppers were not in the original recipe, I added them to bulk it up with some healthier ingredients)
Beer and beef bouillon provide the liquid component.
Lastly, I added some red beans to the recipe (healthy bulk, again) and let it slow simmer away. Jasper had a nice surprise when he came home from work!
Chili
adapted from Moms Who Think
2 1/2 lbs lean chuck, ground
1 lb lean pork, ground
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped bell pepper
8 oz tomato sauce
2 bottles beer (recc. Sam Adams)
3 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp instant beef bouillon (or 6 cubes)
2 tbsp cumin, ground
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp oregano leaves
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp coriander, ground
1 tsp unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp cornmeal
1 tsp flour
1 tsp warm water
2 cans red or white beans, rinsed and drained
In a large dutch oven, brown the ground meat. Add the garlic, onion, and bell pepper, cook and stir until tender. Add the tomato sauce, beer, chili powder, bouillon, cumin, paprika, oregano, sugar, coriander, and cocoa. Mix well. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer, covered , for 2 hours
In a small bowl, stir together the cornmeal and flour, then add the warm water and mix well. Stir into chili. Add the beans and cook, covered, for an additional 20 minutes.