Ultimate Spicy Chili Recipe for Snow Days

This is a must-have for any snow day!

INGREDIENTS

• Olive oil
• 1 yellow onion (or 4 shallots)
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1/2 green bell pepper
• 1 serrano pepper
• 2 jalapeno pepper
• 4 minced garlic cloves (or to taste)
• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• garlic powder (to taste)
• Badia complete (to taste)
• 16 oz of beef broth (or water + 2 bouillon cubes)
• 1 can (28 oz) of crushed tomatoes
• 1 can (14.5 oz) of fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 can tomato paste (can leave out if you want more of a thin Wendy’s chili texture)
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons cumin
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce (I used Scotch Bonnet)
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon of dried peri peri pepper flakes (crushed red pepper flakes will work!)
• salt & pepper (to taste)
• 3 cans of beans (I use 1 each of the following: pinto, black beans, and dark red kidney beans)
• assorted toppings (cheese, sour cream, cilantro, diced onions, corn chips, etc.)

All seasonings can be adjusted to your own liking!

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Chop your veggies into a small dice.
2. Coat the bottom of a Dutch oven with olive oil and sauté your veggies until soft, around 5 minutes. If needed, add a little water to keep from sticking to bottom of the pan.
3. Add in your ground beef to your caramelized veggies and cook until browned.
4. Once your meat is browned, add in the Worcestershire sauce and flavor with a few generous shakes of dried garlic powder and Badia complete. Add a pinch of salt and pepper at this time as well.
5. If using tomato paste (depending on if you want a thin or thick chili), make a well in the center of your meat and veggie mixture before adding your tomato paste. Allow your tomato paste to cook for about 2 minutes, ensuring that it caramelizes and optimizes its flavor.
6. Once tomato paste is caramelized, add in your spices and cook for another minute, allowing them to bloom.
7. Once spices are bloomed, add in the remaining ingredients: broth, cans of tomatoes, and beans.
8. Once heated through and thickened (at least 20 minutes), taste and adjust spices accordingly.
9. Top with cheese, sour cream, chopped cilantro, diced onions, corn chips, etc.

NOTES

While it looks like a lot of ingredients, most of them are spices and pantry staples. Feel free to use whatever you have on hand when it comes to peppers and beans, but the listed peppers are what I used to get praise-worthy results! I love a mix of beans (pinto, black beans, and dark red kidney beans) to give the chili different textures, so feel free to experiment there if you wish!

Nothing says love on a cold day like a bowl of spicy chili and a slice of warm, slathered corn bread.

I love you, kiddos!