Chili

One of my favorite things about Fall and Winter is the yummy, warm comfort food. I love the colder weather (summer is my least favorite season) and chili is definitely a staple in our winter diet and it's a delicious combatant to the cold Minnesota winters. Now that the air is getting a bit nippy I knew I had to make chili and soon! The only problem is that I put beans in my chili which, according to the great Dr. Sheldon Cooper, makes it not chili.  But it's delicious, whatever it is. :)

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 - 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (I go with the petite diced but regular is fine)
1 - 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 - 15.5 oz can kidney beans, drained (light or dark, depending on your preference. I use dark)

Now this is where I'm going to pause and let you know that these ingredients can be tweaked to your own taste, but this is how I usually make the recipe.

4-5 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
8-10 shakes of Cholula original hot sauce
5-6 shakes red pepper flakes
1/2 of a large onion, chopped
1 1/2 - 2 tsp minced garlic

Off-topic tangent: Every single time I write "tsp" I think of Sleeping Beauty when the fairies making Aurora's birthday cake and Fauna says, "Now, yeast, one tsp. Tsp?"
Merryweather: " one teaspoon"
Fauna: "one teaspoon, of course!"

Now back to the recipe.

Brown the ground beef, drain, and set aside.

In a large saucepan (or large 5 qt deep saute pan) combine the canned ingredients (tomatoes, tomato sauce, and drained kidney beans) and stir. Make sure the pan you're using is large enough to stir all of the ingredients together without making a huge mess!  Add the chopped onion and stir again.

Add all of the seasonings and stir well to combine all the ingredients. I usually taste-test after adding all the ingredients to see what's missing.  Add the ground beef and stir well.

Cover the pan and simmer for at least an hour.  I find the longer it simmers, the better it tastes.  Stir occasionally, maybe every 20 minutes or so. I taste-test while it simmers as well because I find the flavors meld together while it simmers and the spicy ingredients (hot sauce and pepper flakes) get spicier.

After it simmers for however long, dig in!

I always serve our chili with cornbread and it's SO good. Until next time, Fire Away!