An Easy Chili Recipe: Great for Cold Weather!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008 18:00
We are people that eat by the seasons. What we mean by that is that in the summer we naturally gravitate to lighter foods, colder foods, like salads, etc. And in the winter, we naturally select foods that make us feel warm and cozy. We are not alone. It is innate human nature to desire foods that will “stick to your ribs” in colder weather.
Imagine a day of shopping in the snow, skiing, caroling, or even shoveling the driveway. What you will probably want after one of these activities is something that is warm and comforting. Something that helps revive you so you can go another round.
This is one of our favorite homemade chili recipes and is just the ticket for such occasions. It is not a glamorous dish, but it is hearty, simple to make and is totally satisfying. Try it yourself and see.
Ingredients
1 pound of lean ground beef
1 large yellow onion, diced
6 cans of chili beans with the juice
1 quart tomato juice
1 ½ tablespoons chili powder
½ teaspoon salt (adjust to personal taste)
Shredded cheese, chopped onion and fresh cilantro for topping
Preparation
In a large Dutch oven, crumble the ground beef. Add the onion and cook over medium heat until beef is well done and onions are translucent.
Add the beans with their liquid, the tomato juice and the chili powder. Stir to mix well. Taste the chili now to see if it needs salt. Some chili powders are loaded with salt and some are not, so it is always a good idea to do a little taste testing before adding salt.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Serve hot, topped with cheese, onion and cilantro. This chili can be made up to two days in advance. It will only taste better the next day!
Fun Fact:
Chili is the official dish of the State of Texas.
Jen says:
November 26th, 2008 at 6:17 am
What a great photo of a quick and hearty chili. Nice job
lockeness says:
November 26th, 2008 at 6:58 am
What you havae there is a soup! No self respecting person puts beans in chili, even if they are called “chili beans”.
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Peppercorn Press Response:
Hi Lockeness,
Thanks for your comment.
Actually, Chili is most widely known for being served with beans, except in Texas where it typically has no beans, tomatoes or other vegetable with the exception of chili peppers.
It was in Texas that Chili Cook-offs originated and that may be a big factor in why many Cook-offs do indeed disqualify chili’s that contain beans. However, since chili is served with beans in the majority of homes and restaurants in the America, which is the real chili? With beans, as most of the population eat it, or without, as chili purists prefer it?
Tom says:
November 26th, 2008 at 11:06 am
With the weather getting colder I really start to crave chili. Chili is one of those foods that is so easy to personalize as well. I love to experiment with different meats and also levels of heat.
Nancy says:
November 28th, 2008 at 11:46 am
Gorgeous photo…I can only suggest that you consider chili grind beef and more chili powder, a bit of oregano, cumin, and garlic..Think that this will liven up your chili recipe, as I feel it needs definitely a bit more spice, and/or more heat…
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Peppercorn Press Response
Hi Nancy,
Thank you for your suggestions. Fortunately for all of us, there are all kinds, and varying degrees of personal taste when it comes to food. Some like it hot and some not. I personally fall into the latter category when it comes to chili. I prefer my chili not to be pretentiously over seasoned; although I do agree that many chili’s’ can benefit from the ingredients you mention. However, this chili is meant to be a fast, easy, no-frills recipe that can be whipped up in a few minutes by anyone. Peppercorn Press will soon be publishing The Chili Recipe Collection that will feature many different types of chili, many of which are more glamorous than this simple one.