It’s January! Which means football playoffs! Which means as a Giants fan you’re usually going to end up somewhat disappointed or pleasantly surprised (I’m pretty sure there’s no middle ground). Especially as a Giants fan living up in Maine I tend to keep my mouth shut just in case. There’s one thing about football season that I’ve always loved regardless of how old I was: my dad’s chili.
When we were growing up, you knew it was Super Bowl Sunday because Dad would always make a big pot of chili and we’d sit in front of the TV for the whole night. I didn’t realize growing up that my dad used the “5-Alarm” boxed mixes with the spices all laid out for you. There’s something that’s super comforting about curling up on the couch with a big bowl of chili around this time of year that makes my parent’s seem a little bit closer (which is nice this time of year when things slow down).
I make this chili every couple of months, and it’s definitely a staple in our house. I don’t use the chili kit, mostly because I always have all the spices on hand anyway. This recipe comes together in about thirty minutes, but it’s worth letting everything simmer together for a little while. So if you’re looking for a straight forward chili recipe that’ll warm you up when you’re standing around hoping that the Packers lose for the next month…or maybe that’s just me.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 2 ½ pounds (40 ozs/1100 g) ground beef
- 2 – 16 oz (450 g) cans black beans, drained
- 2 – 16 oz (450 g) cans pinto beans, drained
- 2 T Olive Oil
- 1 Large Onion, Diced
- 2 Medium Tomatoes, Diced
- 1 ½ ozs (40 g) tomato paste
- 3 T Cumin
- 2 T Chili Powder
- ½ t Crushed Red Pepper
- ½ t Cayenne
- ½ t Oregano
- 2 Bay Leaves
- Shredded Cheese (for serving)
- Fresh Jalapeño
Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Add onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook until the tomato paste becomes a deep red.
Add tomatoes and cook until broken down, about another 5 minutes. Add spices, 2 t salt, and 1 t pepper, and cook an additional minute.
Add the ground beef, cook until no more pink remains.
Add the beans.
Reduce the heat to low and let the chili simmer for about 20 minutes. If you’re feeling adventurous, let it sit all day on the stove. When you’re ready to serve, top with shredded cheese and fresh jalapeño.
Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Add onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.Add tomato paste and cook until the tomato paste becomes a deep red. Add tomatoes and cook until broken down, about another 5 minutes. Add spices, 2 t salt, and 1 t pepper, and cook an additional minute. Add the ground beef, cook until no more pink remains. Add the beans.
Reduce the heat to low and let the chili simmer for about 20 minutes. If you’re feeling adventurous, let it sit all day on the stove. When you’re ready to serve, top with shredded cheese and fresh jalapeño.