Crowd-Pleasing Chili

It's fall, which can only mean two things: it's football season, and for me that also means it's chili season! I am not sure if I have mentioned before my love of soups and stews. There are as many chili recipes as there are home chefs, but mine has a distinct difference than chili you may know: I use cubed beef that I cut into bite sized pieces.

The secret to my chili is cubed beef! 

I prefer this to the ground beef because you get a meatier bite and it's a little unexpected. It tastes amazing, and if you are anything like me, once you go cubed beef, you may never go back!!

So, here is, a chili recipe that will knock your football-loving socks off!

Serves 4-6 people 

You will need: 

Using the food processor saves time! 

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound cubed beef, cut into bite sized pieces
15.5 ounce cans, drained and rinsed:
Kidney beans (dark or light, your choice)
Black Beans
Cannelini Beans (AKA White Kidney beans)
1 onion
2 jalapeño peppers
3 cloves garlic
4 small banana peppers
3 dashes worcestershire sauce
1 6 ounce can of tomato paste
4 cups of tomatoes with the juice (I used a combo of store bought + my own canned tomatoes)
1 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (or to taste)
Salt & white pepper to taste
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Dollop of sour cream for each serving

Method:

In a large stew pot heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add beef to the oil. Dash on several shakes of worcestershire sauce and brown the meat, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, add onion, jalapeño, garlic, and banana peppers. Dice the ingredients by pulsing the food processor several times.

When the meat is browned, add the diced veggies to the pot. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes or until the onions begin to get tender.

Chili is a comforting, warm dish perfect for fall & football! 

Add the beans, tomato paste, tomatoes, beef broth, cumin, and cayenne. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover, simmering for at least 2 hours or until you are ready to serve. Salt & pepper to taste.

Garnish with cheddar cheese and sour cream. Serve with cornbread.


Notes: This is one of those stews that can just simmer away for hours. Be sure to taste it, too. You can always adjust the spices to your liking, say, if you want it to be spicier, by adding more cayenne or even a dash of Tabasco sauce . I stray toward making it less spicy when I have guests over, and more spicy when it's just my husband and I.