Here is another one of those recipes for inviting groups of people over to your house for no other reason than to feed it to them. It is loved by many and easy for all. The toppings is what really puts it over. This recipe will feed 5 people. If you are inviting people over, obviously you will want to double or triple the recipe.
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 diced onion
1 (14.5 oz.) can stewed tomatoes
1 (15.5 oz.) can (white) Northern beans
1 (15.5 oz.) can of Black beans
1 lb of ground beef or turkey or chicken
Chili seasoning (Chili, cumin, garlic powder, salt, & pepper, basil & parsley)
(Your favorite store bought packet of chili seasoning will work just fine too.) NOTE: HOMEMADE CHILI SEASONING INGREDIENTS: *I don't measure these, I just use more chili powder and cumin than all the rest. I sprinkle a light coating of the seasonings over the top of the chili and go heavier with chili powder.*
Also you may add a bit of chocolate if you are using beef, but leave it out of turkey or chicken chili. It goes best with beef. INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Add diced onion and a little vegetable oil to the bottom of a medium sized pot. (You can do this in a crock pot too) 2. Cook on medium heat to soften onions. 3. Add ground meat and lightly brown in the pot (or uncovered crock pot) with the onions and oil. 4. Drain. (If in the crock pot, don't bother.) 5. Bring the pot back to the burner. Add 1 whole can of stewed tomatoes and both cans can of beans. Do not drain the cans, use everything in them. 6. Add chili seasoning; Stir and allow to come to a boil. 7. Once it reaches a boil, cover with a lid and turn the heat down to simmer. (If using a crock pot, set to 6-8 hours and cover to simmer through the day. Stir occassionally.) 8. Simmer for at least 10-15 minutes and stir occasionally. (or simmer in crock for 6-8 hours. It will be ready before then so just use your judgement and set to warm when you think it's done.) 9. Once the chili cooks down and the liquid appears darker and thicker it is ready to eat.
10. Top with SHARP shredded cheddar, sour cream and corn chips. TIPS: The cream, the cheddar and the crunch of these toppings really put the chili over the top. The soft Northern bean with the black bean is the best for chili in my opinion. We like to fill our bowls up, top our chili and sit on the back deck in the evening by the fire pit. It is a great way to spend the evening having dinner together outside and it's very easy to clean up afterward.