It’s Chili Time!

It’s Chili Time!
Written by Michele Vieux

It’s football season, which means it’s time to start eating chili, no matter how hot it is outside!

Chili is one of those things that tastes like it’s been cooking all day but can actually be made rather quickly. It’s great as the main dish of a meal but also as a topper for things like hot dogs (of course), eggs, and even stuffed mushrooms. Chilis, stews and soups also freeze well – they last for months and months, don’t tend to get frostbite, thaw quickly and taste the same – or even better – when reheated. There’s really no reason not to make a batch tonight.

Serving Size

This recipe will yield three servings and I’d recommend making a double batch so you have some to freeze – in single serving size containers – to keep on hand in case of a pinch.

Ingredients

1 pound ground meat (your choice)

½ onion, diced

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (up to 2 tablespoons if you like it spicy)

1-2 tablespoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon dried onions

½ teaspoon dried oregano

1 box (26.5 ounces) tomatoes, chopped

¼ cup water

Salt & Pepper

A Note on the Ingredients

Unless you are baking, ingredients in most recipes do not need to be rigidly followed so don’t fret if you can’t find the exact ingredient listed – get creative! Maybe you have an idea for how to spruce something up, so don’t be afraid to try it. There are some opportunities in this recipe to do just that. The sky’s the limit with the ground meat; there are actually too many options to name and if you consider combining different meats, the opportunities are endless! Don’t have smoked paprika? No worries – any dried chili powder will do and if you like spicy, you might venture toward one more like cayenne. Remember, recipes are just the guideline and putting your own spin on things makes cooking more fun!

Directions

In a medium to large soup pot, begin to brown the ground meat on medium-high heat. If you are using a lean meat like turkey or venison, you might find you need to add a little fat to the pan – you do want some fat present.

Once there is a little moisture starting to build, toss in everything except the tomatoes and mix it around. Let the mixture cook for a minute or two WITHOUT STIRRING it. You can turn down the heat a little if you are concerned but a lot of the flavor comes from letting the meat and spices caramelize – stirring too much causes steam to prevent this from happening.

Once the meat is cooked through – and no longer to prevent it from being dry – add the box of tomatoes. Rinse the box with ¼ cup of water and add that to the pot. Stir well and turn the heat down to low, so it’s just simmering.

Give it a half hour on a low simmer and it should be ready to enjoy!