Mother Nature was all over the place this week! We went from freezing, to Spring weather (all the snow melted in our front yard), to the first snow storm of 2018… in less than 3 days! Since it was snowing like crazy Yesterday, we went grocery shopping Today and oh my it’s was chili outside. Got me thinking, chili would be good right about now… it’s a good thing we are on our way to the store.
Chili is fast and easy to do (depending on how you make yours). To ensure that everyone in the Family loves it, I tend to keep it simple. My chili only contains 6 major ingredients and whole bunch of spices. It’s quick and can easily be made in advance or last minute during the week for a full hearty meal. To make my chili, you will need:
- 2 Lbs of lean beef
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1 large can of tomato sauce
- 1 can of diced tomatos
- 1 can of tomato paste
- 1 can of red kidney beans
- LaBrayonne Chili spice mix (see mix below)
In large saucepan, on medium heat, cook your onion & beef. I like to add a little salt and pepper while cooking my meat.
While meat is cooking, open up all of your can goods. Drain out properly your red kidney beans and rinse then under cold water. Set then aside to let them drain properly.
Prepare your spice mix. Spices is a personal taste and really goes according to how much heat you want out of your chili. For my mix, I use:
- 2 Tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp thyme
Once your beef is fully cooked, drain out excess fat from meat. Add your can of diced tomatoes
Add your tomato sauce and red beans
Mix well and add your spice mix… YES, the full spice mix!
Add your tomato paste and stir well to ensure that everything blends well together. Let simmer, on medium-low heat for 45 minutes, making sure you stir well every 10 minutes to ensure that it doesn’t stick at the bottom of the pan.
After 45 minutes of simmering, your chili will be nice and thick. Take off heat and let rest for 5 – 10 minutes. Serve immediately with bread or corn chips. If some Family members like more heat, they can simply add a few dashes of hot sauce or again crushed chili’s to their serving. My spice mix brings just a little heat after your spoonful but does not cause your mouth to overheat. This way, everyone likes it!
If you have left overs, or you simply want to prepare ahead of time, you can store away in a seal tight container and use during the week for lunches or for a meal with cheesy bread. This chili can be kept for 5 days in the refrigerator.
During Winter, the weather can get very ”Chili”… so why not warm up with a nice hot bowl of Chili!
