Somedays I crave Chili. I want that thick, spicy spoonful of tomato-based goodness.
Like most Chili recipes mine is hearty with a base of ground beef and beans in a tomato broth, but mine boasts more flavor and some vegetables.
I love adding vegetables to my chili for a few reasons, mainly for the fact that I don't HAVE to make a vegetable side dish. I believe we need veggies at every meal and I believe those veggies should taste amazing.
It makes sense to add in some veggies to enhance and compliment the Chili.
This recipe is on the mild side when it comes to heat.
I like heat to warm my mouth and not burn my taste buds or make me sweat. It's a crowd pleaser and I've even had children scarf it down without complaint. But if spicy Chili is your jam feel free to add more cayenne or even some hot peppers to the pot
If you have a group with mixed heat preferences you can offer some Pepper jack cheese and diced Jalapenos as optional toppings for the heat lovers in your group.
A bowl of Chili goes well with cornbread (I love topping the cornbread with my whipped honey butter- the sweet and the heat paired together is amazing).
I also love adding sour cream, cheddar cheese, and green onion to my bowl of Chili, but you can top it with whatever you want or even eat it as is.
Chili
Ingredients
- 1 lbs ground beef
- 1 tablespoon onion oil or oil of choice
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup red wine
- 2 green bell peppers diced
- 1 med Zucchini diced
- 2 15 oz cans Tomato sauce
- 1 16 oz can Pinto beans drained
- 1 16 oz can Black beans drained
- 1 16 oz can Kidney beans drained
- 1 16 oz can Corn kernels Drained- Can sub for 2 ears fresh corn
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon Cumin
- 2 teaspoon Coriander
- 2 teaspoon Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 4 cups Water or Stock
- salt and pepper
Optional Toppings
- sour cream
- Pepper jack or Cheddar cheese
- Green onion
Instructions
- Heat a large Cast Iron dutch oven over medium heat. Once the pan is hot add in the ground beef. Allow to brown, mixing as needed, and drain off excess fat.
- Add in the onion oil, onion and garlic. Saute for a few minutes until onions are becoming translucent. Add the red wine and allow to cook down for a minute.
- Then add in the bell pepper, zucchini, corn and all the beans. Top off with the tomato sauce and water.
- Add in the spices and stir thoroughly. Put the lid on the pot and allow it to come to a low boil (about 15-20 minutes) Stir and taste. Add more salt and pepper as needed and more cayenne if desired.
- Serve while hot with optional toppings
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