Maralyn’s Chili

Brenda asked me to give a recipe for my chili. That is a difficult assignment, as it depends on what I have in the house. However, these are the basics that always result in a good end product.

Maralyn’s Chili

Ingredients:

1 to 2 pounds of ground beef—chuck has good flavor (you can substitute ground turkey or bison.)

1 to 2 large onions, peeled, sliced and diced

2 to 3 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 to 4 cloves, peeled and minced

2 cans of crushed tomatoes—about 24 oz (3 if 15 oz cans)

1 small can of green chilies, drained

1 large can tomato sauce (15 oz)

1 bottle of red table wine

1 to 3 tablespoons of chili powder (depending on taste)

1 to 2 teaspoons of cumin

1 to 2 teaspoons of kosher salt (depending on taste)

1 teaspoon pepper

2 cans of red kidney beans or black beans (15 oz), drained and rinsed

Method:

Brown ground meat, onions and garlic in frying pan. Drain excess fat.

Transfer to a large pot or crockpot.

Add crushed tomatoes, green chilies, and tomato sauce.

Rinse cans with red wine to get excess tomatoes and sauce from cans. Pour the rest of the bottle in the pot.

Add chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.

If cooking on stovetop, cook at least 2 to 3 hours.  In a crockpot I cook about 5 to 6 hours.

Before you are ready to serve, add the beans and let them heat through.

Tips:

With chili, like all recipes, it is important to taste and adjust seasoning. I like to make mine with a little kick, but not so hot you can’t enjoy the flavor.

When serving piping hot, you can place some shredded Monterey jack and cheddar, or add a dollop of sour cream.

I tend to make a lot and freeze some. Some times to extra I’ll add macaroni or barley for a different type of meal.

I hope you enjoy.