My Famous Chili Food

MY FAMOUS CHILI

Steps:

• In a large soup kettle over medium heat, add 1 Tablespoon oil and add the beef and turkey- stir to brown and scramble until no longer pink- If there is any grease, spoon off and discard. Add onion and red bell pepper; stir to mix. Add in crushed tomatoes, beans, diced tomatoes and chili mix. Stir mixing well to combine. Add chili chocolate bar ( if you cannot find the chocolate bar- use Hersey's special dark chocolate bar and 1/4 teaspoon chili pepper) BUT DO NOT OMIT THE CHOCOLATE BAR!! Add cranberries- do not omit these either. Add the vegetables and beef broth and Spicy Hot V8; stir to blend well. Sprinkle potato buds a little at a time and mix in after each addition until all is added. Stir well. Let simmer 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally. You are so going to love this!!

THE BEST CHILI

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until just browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden, about 10 minutes.
• Add the jalapeno and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the tomato paste. Cook, stirring frequently, until coated and fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Stir in the beef broth and crushed tomatoes and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the cooked ground beef and any accumulated liquid, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer the chili, partially covered, until the beef is tender and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 30 minutes.
• Stir in the beans and their liquid and simmer uncovered until the beans are softened and the chili is thickened, about 30 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.
• Top with sour cream, Cheddar and scallions. Serve with tortilla chips.

HEIDI'S FAMOUS CHILI

Steps:

• Brown ground beef in a little oil or water, add onions.
• Add chili powder and RO-TEL diced tomatoes/chiles, stir and heat for several minutes.
• Add HOT chili beans (I use Brooks' Hot Chili Beans but you can use whatever brand is available--if you aren't "into" hot, you can try any style of chili beans). I rinse the cans and add 1/2 a can (1/2 cup) of water per can of beans so there's extra water for noodles. If you're not using noodles, don't add the water.
• After this mixture has heated, I add the 2 large cans of tomatoes, juice and all. Simmer. Add the 2 squares of unsweetened baking chocolate--it adds an extra dimension to the flavor of the tomatoes.
• When this is near-boiling, add noodles if you're going to. Simmer until these are done.
• Taste-test--you can add more chili powder if you like it really spicy.
• Remove from heat for 5-10 minutes and let rest. Stir once more before serving. It should have a nice, thick texture, not too runny. Makes 10 hearty servings, holds its flavor for leftovers.
• Serve with cornbread muffins, mexican cheese or mild cheddar, sour cream, and oyster crackers.
• Everytime I make this, I try to improve it. The recipe is a work in progress! Last night I added some garlic powder to the mix and it was quite good. I've added vermouth at times, tequila, beer (not so crazy about this), stewed whole tomatoes instead of diced (use 3 cans of whole tomatoes), and green peppers if they're available. It's all a matter of taste.
• Enjoy!

DAD'S FAMOUS CHILI RECIPE

Steps:

• Brown beef in skillet and drain fat.
• Heat oil in separate frying pan and add 1/2 of the chopped onions, sauté until soft, but not brown.
• In blender, purify the other 1/2 of onion, the red bell pepper, garlic, black pepper, and tomato puree.
• Pour the blended ingredients, ground beef, and sautéed onions into a crock pot or a large stock pot.
• Add the chopped tomatoes, kidney beans, chipotle, cayenne pepper, crushed red peppers, chili powder and stir.
• Simmer in pot for about 2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes.
• The longer you leave it cooking on low heat, the more the spices and seasonings will blend together and the better it will be.
• Serve over cooked white rice.