I have a couple more favorite chili recipes, believe it or not. Here is one that I created by combining several of my favorite recipes and adding some of my own flair, too.
Ingredients:
1.5 ground beef (85% lean)
1 onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic (run through garlic press or use the kind in a jar)
3 T. Penzeys Chili 3000
1 T. Penzeys Medium Hot Chili Powder
1/2 t. cumin
1 t. salt
1/2 t. sugar
25 grinds black pepper
1 large can (28 oz) whole tomatoes, drain and chop
1 small can (6 oz) tomato paste
2 cans (14 oz) dark red kidney beans, drain and rinse
2 c. water
4 c. tomato juice
Brown the ground beef; drain. You can add the garlic and onion while you brown the beef or add it after you brown it; if after, cook a few minutes more. Add the rest of the ingredients bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Cook, covered, at a simmer for an hour if you can. Less will be okay, but it will taste better if you cook it longer.
This makes a pretty large batch and is soupier than some of the other chili recipes I make.
I got this recipe from a family of food-lovers. (Thank you, Schoonovers!) If you like chili but are in the mood for something a little different from the traditional chili (tomato-meat-beans), then I hope you’ll give this recipe a try.
I have made it a couple of different ways. It works really well in a crock pot. I also sometimes make it on the stove top. Either way, it is quick to make and delicious to eat.
Of course, I always make a few changes to most recipes, so I’ll make note of those changes.
Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped
1 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced (I used the kind in a jar. Use more or less to taste. I use more.)
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb. total), chopped (I prefer chicken thighs. You could also use leftover chicken or meat from a deli roasted chicken.)
2 cans (14 oz) chicken broth (I like the 32 oz. boxes of broth, especially Trader Joe’s organic broths. YUM.)
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies
2 t. ground cumin (If you aren’t sure how much spice, you could cut down on this. As always, I use Penzeys spices.)
2 t. dried oregano
1 1/2 t. cayenne pepper (I used only about 1/2 t. of cayenne for my family. The last time I made this I used 1 1/2 t. of regular chili powder instead and it tasted great.)
3 cans (14-1/2 oz each) great northern beans, drained and rinsed (Look for a large jar or can that has close to this total amount to save time opening cans.)
*oh — smash one can of the beans with a fork or potato masher before added them to the soup pot. This will thicken the soup nicely.
salt and pepper to taste
optional garnishes:
shredded cheese (A good sharp cheddar, colby-jack, or pepper jack would be tasty)
chopped jalapeno pepper (I haven’t done this one. You could even use the pickled, jarred or canned jalapeno.)
cilantro (Always!)
sour cream
crushed taco chips
Procedure:
The easy way is to put all the ingredients in the crock pot, turn it on and walk away for several hours.
I’ve used bone-in chicken to make this, even in the crock pot. I dug it out of the crock pot shortly before serving time, took the meat off the bones and threw the meat back into the pot. It was not a big deal.
On the stove top, I’ve browned the chicken and sautéed the onions and garlic in olive oil, then added the rest of the ingredients. Simmer for 20 min. or until you are ready to eat.
This is good with corn bread or with crunchy cheese quesadillas. A nice salad is always a good thing, too.
“Willie’s Chili” by Lon Farenwald Some Rights Reserved
This recipe reminds me of Azar’s Big Boy Restaurant’s Chili Spaghetti that I loved to eat as a young girl growing up in northern Indiana. I don’t know how far the Azar’s chain reached, but there were several within an hour of my hometown. We often ate at the one in Glenbrook Mall (later it became Glenbrook Square) in Fort Wayne. Their signature sandwich was the Big Boy, a double-decker cheeseburger with cheese and a special sauce (similar to a Big Mac but with a unique Azar’s taste). I also remember their delicious strawberry pie! I will share my mom’s recipe for making that pie in a future blog post (when strawberry time arrives!).
Ingredients:
1 lb. 85% lean ground chuck
Brown the beef in a dutch oven or other large pan with a lid.
Measure all these spices into a small dish:
4 t. chili powder 1 t. cardamom 1 t. ground (or grated) nutmeg 1/4 t. allspice 1/4 t. cayenne pepper 1/4 t. ground coriander 1/4 t. garlic powder 1 1/4 t. salt 1/4 t. ground black pepper
When the beef is browned and drained, use a potato masher (old fashioned utensil) to smash and break up the meat into very small pieces.
Add: 2 T. cornstarch to 1/2 c. cold water.
Stir. Add this to the beef in the pan. It should thicken up pretty quickly.
Throw in the small dish of spices and stir. Heat this mixture for a minute or so until you start to smell the spices.
Add: 1 box of beef broth (32 oz.) 1 small can of tomato paste (6 oz.) 1 can of dark red kidney beans, drained 1 T. white vinegar
Do not forget the vinegar! It really brings the flavors together.
Stir to mix thoroughly. Bring to a boil, then lower heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes or longer as needed.
Meanwhile, toward the end of the sauce cooking time — heat a large pot of boiling salted water and cook 1 lb. of pasta. To recreate my childhood memories, I use spaghetti but you could use any shape of pasta.
I sometimes add two cans of kidney beans, but that is up to you.
To serve, spoon the sauce onto the hot pasta. Top with powdered parmesan cheese (the kind with the green lid). Real Parmesan is good, of course, but again — my childhood memories dictate powdered Parmesan. Azar’s was not a posh place. 🙂
SO GOOD! I hope you enjoy this recipe. Please leave a comment if you try it. I’d love to hear from you.
This is a unique twist on chili and on spaghetti. I have heard that this is sometimes called Cincinnati chili and people eat it with onions and cheese (and other toppings).
As always, I use Penzey’s spices. Quality makes a difference! (I do not work for them, I just love their spices.)
This is my mom’s chili recipe. The original recipe was called “Chili Concoction” and it came from a children’s cookbook.
I threw this together in less than 15 minutes tonight. Then it just needs to simmer for a bit.
Ingredients:
1.5 pounds ground beef (85 percent lean)
1 medium onion, diced
1 t. chopped garlic (or 2 cloves finely chopped)
1 can ( 1 lb. 12 oz. petite diced tomatoes)
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
1 can (15 oz.) dark red kidney beans
1 t. sugar
1 T. chili powder (I use Penzey’s)
1 t. salt and black pepper to taste
In a dutch oven or 5 quart or larger pan, brown the ground beef until no longer pink. Drain. Put the beef back in the pan with the chopped onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Open the can of tomatoes and the tomato paste. Drain and rinse kidney beans. Add all of this to the beef pan along with the sugar and chili powder. Simmer for 15 to 30 minutes or longer if you have time. If it gets too thick you can add water.
You can add more spice by adding some cayenne or crushed red pepper flakes. You could add more chili powder if you wish. You could add cumin and/or oregano. You could add another can of kidney beans. This chili is fairly thick and very tomatoe-y.
Enjoy! Please let me know if you try this recipe. I’d love to hear your feedback.
The Tromp Queen COOKS! 