Baby It’s Chilly…How About Some Chili?

Guys…I’m freeeezing, it is so chilly here today! I know I said I was ready for Fall but this is like a shock to my system..OK I might have been just a bit dramatic there lol.  So to warm up our souls here today and because it is the first full day of the NFL, I decided to make some chili!  Well also because I rearranged our living room before 8am and thought I deserved some comfort food 🙂

I used dried kidney beans this time around that I washed and soaked the day before.  You can use canned beans for quicker cooking time.  You can also use any kind of bean or a mix of beans.  The thing with chili is you can make it your own personal way..some add in different veggies..some like it with more liquid than a thicker kind.

OK so here is how I made the chili today:

Ingredients:

• 1lb Dried Kidney beans
• 1 Red Onion
• 1 Yellow Onion
• 3 Cloves of Garlic
• 12 Tomatoes from my garden..=2 Cups
• 1 Red Pepper
• 1 Celery Stalk
• 2 tsp. Chili Powder to start
• A Dash of Red Pepper Flake to start
• 2 tsp. Oregano to start
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 Can Tomato Paste
• Oil to coat bottom of large pot

***The day before rinse and soak the dried kidney beans*** ( you do NOT have soak them but it will take longer to cook)

1.  Saute onions, garlic and celery in oil about 3-5 minutes

2.  Add ground beef, cook about 10 minutes

3.  Add salt, pepper, oregano, red pepper and chili powder

4.  Add tomatoes and kidney beans..mix together

5.  Add water, I filled the pot until it was about an inch or so above the mixture

6.  Add the tomato paste and bring to a boil

7.  Once at a rolling boil I lowered the heat to give it a soft boil

After that I check on the chili about every half hour or so to check how the beans are doing and to check to make sure there is enough liquid in the pot so it doesn’t stick.  I also taste it and add more spices at this point.  If I find the chili is becoming to thick I add a little bit of water at a time, about a half cup or so. From start to finish this took a little over 3 hours.  OK I know I tooootally need to work on my presentation but this is the end result. “A” for effort right?? 🙂

That’s it guys! Easy peasy right?  How do you make your chili?  Do you prefer cooking it in a slow cooker rather than a pot on the stove? Leave me a comment below, I’d love to hear from you!

Talk to you soon!

~Rhon