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Chili that Curt likes

It may not seem like a big deal that the chili I made last week was one of my husband's favorites. Let me tell you, though--it is. I have made this hearty comfort food many times in the past and it has never solicited much more than an, "It's OK." from my dear love. With this version, he devoured bowl after bowl and sang my praises days later.

This presented a small problem over the weekend when I thought about having some leftovers myself and taking a picture for this post. I opened the large container in the fridge only to find this...
Really? He ate about three bowls worth in one afternoon, leaving only a few bites behind! Amazing. So even though this picture is not the most appetizing thing in the world, I am excited to share my recipe for what is apparently Curt's new favorite chili. No secrets, no surprises... pretty basic. Go figure.

1 TBS olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 TBS minced garlic
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1 lb. lean ground beef
2 cans petite diced tomatoes
1 can petite diced tomatoes with chipotle
1 can chili beans in medium sauce
1 can three bean blend (drained & rinsed)
1 TBS chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (less if you don't like a lot of heat)
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion and saute until slightly soft, then put in the peppers and garlic and saute for a few minutes more. Add the ground beef, breaking it into small pieces and cook until no longer pink.

Next, pour in all of the canned ingredients. (I didn't drain anything except for the three bean blend. Normally I drain and rinse all beans in recipes, but the sauce from the chili beans gave the dish a bit of smokey flavor that was worth it. Feel free to drain all your beans if you wish.)

Add the spices and remember to taste as you go. (All of my spice measurements are approximate. I am a habitual "palm full" measurer. 1 TBS = one full palm of spice and 1 tsp = 1/2 palm.)
Stir well and reduce heat to a simmer. Stir occasionally until ready to eat. (I let it sit on the stove for about 2 hours before we had dinner and the flavors were well combined.)
Top with shredded cheddar cheese.

This took about 20 minutes or so to put together and it was well worth my minimal effort. Perfect for these last really cold days of February!

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Yum! I love chili!

sara said...

Me too! Hopefully there will only be a few more cold weeks left to gobble up the yumminess.