Fall Social Chili

Best-Chili-10_edited

I am so excited about the chili we made for the fall social tonight! It tastes so good that we had to ban the kids from having any more before the party. We have to have enough to share... Maybe I will just bring a smaller pot so it still looks full.

Growing up we didn't have chili very often. Well, I mean real chili. Canned chili bought from the store doesn't really count as chili. But once in a while my dad would make it I never knew his recipe. I once heard him tell a neighbor when asked for the recipe that he added "ya know, a little of this and a little of that".

When the fall social came up and my dear husband signed us up to make chili that small panic feeling in my chest started to grow. I had made ham and beans, and I had made southwestern rice and black beans, and BBQ beans. But not real chili. Not real chili that I had to share with the entire neighborhood to try! I have actually made BBQ beans and fake passed it off as chili... But don't tell anyone!

All week we searched Pinterest for a recipe. My dad was out of county in New Zealand and I wasn't sure he would have taken his recipe with him. So Pinterest it is!

We found a couple recipes that we liked and decided to be daring. We combined 2 different recipes. I do not recommend altering a recipe you have never made for a dish you have never made. But sometimes it works out. Thanks to my dear husband who wasn't going to "not show up" to the fall social because we didn't make the chili right. So keep moving forward.

The recipe we chose was a combination like I said. One recipe called for a Serrano pepper. I am not familiar with this pepper but I found one in the produce section. Long and slender should have been a clue.

My brave husband and teenage son decided we had better try the pepper before we put it in our pot. I cut off the stem and sliced the very next part of the pepper giving half to my husband and half to my son. They both ate it and said it tasted almost sweet and should include it. So I began slicing. After a minute my husband asked if I tried the pepper yet. I quickly grabbed a slice full of seeds and popped it in my mouth. It was supposed to be sweet right?

A coughing, unladylike spitting, wall pounding, tantrum followed. Milk does not help. In my pain and humiliating tantrum and remembered what a local Chinese restaurant owner had once said. SUGAR!

I grabbed a rather large spoon and scooped out a generous helping of our newly harvested honey and stuffed my face with it. Swishing and gargling like mouthwash I coated every inch of my mouth with honey. Only then did the heat begin to subside.

Keep in mind that I love spicy food... But I think I will leave out the seeds next time.

I found another slice of pepper. REMOVED THE SEEDS. And asked my husband and teenage son to be brave and try another piece. My husband dutifully ate one. Only after he didn't die of spiciness did my son gather enough bravery to try another slice.

We added the pepper to the mix.

This chili turned out so good that we had to stop the family from eating it so we would have enough to take to the fall social. It was publicly approved of. There was only one scoop left in the bottom of our pot.

I think this is a keeper! Here is the end result recipe:

• 2 pounds ground beef

• 1 pound bulk Italian sausage, mild

• ½ pound bacon

• 2 (15 oz) cans kidney beans, drained

• 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained

• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained

• 2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes with juice

• 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste

• 1 large yellow onion, chopped

• 2 stocks of celery, chopped

• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

• 1 Serrano pepper sliced (seeds removed!) Optional

• 2 cups beef stock

• 3 tablespoons chili powder

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

• 1 tablespoon dried oregano

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon fresh basil

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon paprika

Directions

1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground chuck and sausage into the hot pan, and cook until evenly browned. Drain off excess grease.

2. In a different pan, cook the bacon until crispy. Crumble and add to Dutch Oven. Cook the chopped onion and pepper, and other veggies in the bacon drippings for about 5 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add to the pot.

3. To the pot, add in the drained beans, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and beef stock. Season with chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, oregano, cumin, basil, salt, pepper, and paprika. Stir to blend, then cover and simmer over low heat for 5 hours, stirring occasionally.

4. After 2 hours, taste, and adjust salt, pepper, and chili powder if necessary. The longer the chili simmers, the better it will taste.

5. Remove from heat and serve, or refrigerate, and serve the next day. Serve with cheese, onions, sour cream, or whatever chili toppings you prefer!