Basic Midwest Chili

My mom has been making this basic chili for as long as I can remember. When the cold weather starts moving in here and I start craving chili, this is what I want. Not to be confused with Cincinnati Chili because that’s a whole different yet equally delicious thing. Beef, onions, several types of tomato products, chili power along with some other spices, and some beef broth. That’s basically it, so that’s why I call this Basic Midwest Chili. Here’s the ingredient list:

• 2 cups yellow onions
• 3 lbs. ground beef (your choice on the fat ratio, or sub 1/2 turkey to lighten it up)
• 2 tbs garlic
• 1 (6) oz. can tomato paste
• 4 tbs. (or as much as you like) Mexican chili powder
• 1 tsp regular chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp salt plus more to taste
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• fresh cracked blank pepper to taste
• 2 pints of whole or chopped tomatoes
• 2 (16) oz cans tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 cups beef broth
• sliced green peppers/jalapeno (optional)
• red kidney or chili beans (optional)

Start by chopping up the onions and garlic. Get the beef and the onions in a large stock pot. Sprinkle with about 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook until the beef is brown and cooked through. Drain off any excess grease.

Now you can add the garlic and then stir in the tomato paste. Let the tomato paste cook out for a minute or two. I’ve started doing this and it helps caramelize the paste a little bit. At this point I like to add the salt, spices and chili powders to let them get started before we add the tomatoes and their liquid in. Feel free to adjust the ones I use to your taste. It’s your chili after all. 🙂 Give those spices a minute or two to start to open up and then stir in the whole or chopped tomatoes. If using whole tomatoes, break them up with your spoon or spatula a bit just to get them going.

Next add the tomato sauce and the beef broth. I like a background taste of fresh pepper in my chili sometimes, so I just add a few slices of green and/or jalepeno pepper. Feel free to skip it if you don’t care for it or don’t have it on hand. Make sure everything is combined and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let things cook together uncovered for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste things at this point. Add salt or spices as you like. Cook about 30 minutes more and it can be ready to go. I like mine cooked about 2 1/2 hours total – the more your cook it the more flavorful it gets. It’s even better the next day.

I don’t know how this unassuming can of kidney beans can cause so much controversy, but in certain parts of the county, it sure does! Some people swear chili does not ever have beans in it, others insist on having them thrown in. I say do what you want, it’s your food. If I know I’m going to serve this over spaghetti, then I tend not to put in a bunch, maybe just a few beans in that batch. If I’m going to serve it over chips, say Fritos, then I add a few more since I like the beans with the corn chips. It’s really up to you do add beans or not, and use the kind you like best. No judgement here, I promise.

Serving suggestions and add in:

• With lots of hot sauce, cheddar cheese, pickled jalapenos, sour cream and corn chips.
• Severed over spaghetti, with or without cheese.
• With a side of cheddar buttermilk biscuits – picture at the top
• As is with oyster crackers stirred in…Ok I add more hot sauce too.
• On a nice cheeseburger – yes please!
• Added into nachos…try adding more black beans to that too – yum!
• Freeze me! This stuff freezes great and then you can just pull it out of the freezer and have chili anytime.
• Enjoy however YOU like!!