How hot??
Linda C

This is an exceelent Chili that my family loves. It has won several Chili cookoff awards in the past. I make it with ground turkey, but it is also good with ground beef:

TOUCHDOWN TURKEY CHILI

2 pounds ground turkey (or ground beef)
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
¾ cup red wine
4 cups tomato sauce
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 green bell pepper, diced
Three 15 ounce cans black beans, drained
One half to one 7 ounce can chipolte peppers in adobe sauce (depending on degree of heat you desire.)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon (unsweetened) cocoa powder
1 heaping tablespoon peanut butter Salt, if desired Freshly ground pepper to taste ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Optional Toppings: Grated Jack cheese Sour cream Chopped onions Jalepenos, sliced Serves 8.
In a very large skillet or pot, heat oil, add ground meat, onions, and brown. Add wine, and deglaze, scraping up any bits from the bottom of pan. Then add tomato sauce, garlic, bell pepper, and stir. Add beans, chipoltes, adobe sauce, cumin, oregano, cocoa powder, and peanut butter. Cover and cook over low heat for approximately 30 minutes. Uncover and add salt if desired, pepper, cilantro, and continue to cook uncovered for another 15 minutes. Serve with optional toppings.

Here is very simple

1 lb very lean ground beef
1 can Brooks Mild Chili Beans
1 can Brooks Chili Hot Beans
1 can diced tomatoes (with our without either onions or jalapenos)
1 TBSP ground chili powder (more or less to taste)
1 large onion, diced

Brown beef, and onion to beef just before it is done and cook until soft. Add the other ingredients and let simmer for 20 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste. Let simmer to the consistency you like, I like my chili really thick so I simmer for about an hour. We serve it with diced onion, shredded cheddar, sour cream and Frito's! This is the only chili my husband will eat. Your can also add a can of drained and rinsed kidney or black beans if you want more beans, and a can of tomato sauce if you like your chili thinner. If you add the tomato sauce you will probably need more chili powder.

This is my standard - although I have played around with different recipes, I always go back to this one.

My standard recipe is an adaptation from Craig Claiborne's recipe from a People Magazine celebrity cookbook from the 70's.

Chili con Carne

1 tablespoon oil
1-1/2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1-1/4 pounds ground turkey (or beef)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups fresh or 2 pound can diced tomatoes (maybe fire roasted)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed hot pepper flakes (or more to taste)
(optional 1/2 cup red wine)
Canned kidney beans or black beans or white beans, drained (optional)

Heal oil in skillet and cook onion and pepper til wilted.
Add meat and brown.
Sprinkle the meat with garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano and basil. Stir to blend. Add bay leaf, pepper, tomatoes, vinegar, hot red pepper and wine (if using).
Bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally.
Add kidney beans during last 15 minutes (if using).

Here's the recipe from Cook's Illustrated. They recommend Spice Island Chili Powder. They just did a tasting and like it better than McCormick's or Penzeys.

Simple Beef Chili with Kidney Beans

Good choices for condiments include diced fresh tomatoes, diced avocado, sliced scallions, chopped red onion, chopped cilantro leaves, sour cream, and shredded Monterrey Jack or cheddar cheese. If you are a fan of spicy food, consider using a little more of the red pepper flakes or cayenne--or both. The flavor of the chili improves with age; if possible, make it a day or up to five days in advance and reheat before serving. Leftovers can be frozen for up to a month.

Makes about 3 quarts, serving 8 to 10

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or corn oil
2 medium onions , chopped fine (about 2 cups)
1 red bell pepper , cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
2 (15-ounce) cans red kidney beans , drained and rinsed
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes , with juice
1 can (28 ounces) tomato puree
Table salt
2 limes , cut into wedges

1. Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed nonreactive Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onions, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, pepper flakes, oregano, and cayenne; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add half the beef; cook, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink and just beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add remaining beef and cook, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 4 minutes.

2. Add beans, tomatoes, tomato puree, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Remove cover and continue to simmer 1 hour longer, stirring occasionally (if chili begins to stick to bottom of pot, stir in 1/2 cup water and continue to simmer), until beef is tender and chili is dark, rich, and slightly thickened. Adjust seasoning with additional salt. Serve with lime wedges and condiments if desired.

Slow Cooker Option: At the end of step 1, transfer the cooked beef mixture to a slow cooker; add the rest of the ingredients as directed in step 2. Cook the chili on the high setting for four hours.

I don't like spicy hot chili, so I don't usually add cumin or red pepper flakes and I add about 1 TBS of chili powder. My kids can add all the red pepper flakes and hot sauce they want.

I always wing my chili and make it in a crock pot. No two pots are alike. Sometimes I cook my own beans, mostly I buy low sodium canned pintos, black beans, or small red beans. Never kidney beans, the skins are tough to me.

The basics:
1 to 1.5 ground beef, browned and drained
2 15 oz, cans diced tomatoes (with onions and peppers if you like)
1 onion, diced
2 to 4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 or 2 green bell peppers, diced
2 15 oz. cans of the above beans
1 bottle of beer (Negra Modelo is good, dark but not sweet) or a cup of dry red wine
2 teasp. dried oregano
1 teasp. ground cumin (adjust to taste)
3 tablesp. sweet chili powder (adjust to taste)
1/2 teasp. or to taste chipotle powder (the heat)
1 tablesp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 bay leaves (remove when cooking is finished)

Through the whole mess into a large crock pot and cook overnight on low or 4 hours on high. Or simmer covered on the stove until the peppers and onions are obviously cooked.

Oh, yes, drain the beans. Bean juice offers nothing.

I would like to be able to adjust the "heat" myself.
Oh, also if it is to thick what is the best way to loosen it up?

I don't use a recipe but I've been told my chili is quite good. Let's see if I can put in in "recipe" form.

Chili

1 lb ground beef
2 c diced celery
1-1/2 c water
1 small onion, diced
2 cans black beans
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 14 oz can tomato sauce or 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
chili powder to taste
red pepper to taste
ground cumin to taste

Brown ground beef and onion in skillet, drain. In large pot cook celery in water until tender. Add ground beef, tomatoes, beans and seasonings. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 20-30 minutes.

Serve hot with chopped raw onions and grated cheddar cheese.

Linda

I never make it the same..it always must have good chili powder and lots of cumin..from there the pots outcome depends on what leftovers are in the freezer. I freeze chunks of leftover meats..little pork roast or chop, beef, grilled hamburger patty..chicken, whatever..The best chilis are the ones that have all those little bits of precooked leftover meats. I use canned beans..and usually a variety too..some will soften to almost mush the length I simmer mine, and some will hold up..(little red beans and whites beans will soften alot, kidney's will hold their texture.)

You can add water or broth to "loosen" the chili..

I wing it, too. I make a good, satisfying chili, and it isn't ridiculously fattening if you keep the toppings under control. It's probably not totally authentic but I am a Mainer. :)

This is the basic chicken chili recipe I made in my crock pot on Wednesday - it can be made on the stove, too, just cook until the meat falls apart. You can halve or double or whatever it and still enjoy. You can replace the meat, too, with whatever you prefer: beef, pork, hamburger, etc. I like to use stew beef to make this, it's very good. Keep in mind: I have a giant sized crock pot.

Chicken Chili

6 chicken breasts, cubed
1 cup navy beans, soaked overnight (will double in volume)
2 large green bell peppers, chopped
4 jalapeño peppers, chopped (seeded if you like mild, leave seeds in if you like it hotter)
2 medium-large yellow onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1-2 teaspoons chili powder (to preferred heat level)
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon cilantro, dried
3 (14-16 oz) cans chopped tomatoes

Combine everything in crock pot, cook for 10-12 hours while you're at work. The meat will be nicely shreddable and the veggies tender, and much of the extra juice will have steamed away so it will be nice and thick. Serve over rice, top with cheese and sour cream and enjoy a few tortilla chips on the side.

If cooking on the stove, sear the meat first and set aside, then sauté the veggies, then re-add meat, beans, tomatoes, and herbs. Simmer for 2-3 hours until meat falls apart and liquid is thick.

If chili becomes too thick, you can just add some stock or water or tomato juice and stir and cook a bit to incorporate. I never have that problem though - thick is good!

I like it fairly thick myself, just not as thick as I have been making.
Thanks to all, I am going to try one after the other recipes through out the winter and see where it leads me.

As Murphy's Law would have it my printer needs a new laser cartridge so I'll have to wait to print these but it will be done!

My ex used to say, "There is no such thing as a bad bowl of chili." He even loved the stuff in a can.

Have fun cooking. Chili freezes fine, too.

Try V-8 juice to juice it up. Bring to a boil after adding to blend the flavors or you have chili with juice in it.

Put the spices on the hamburger while it is cooking. Cumin the main chili spice needs high heat to release its flavoring oils.

Hot peppers cook down to different levels of heat. Use hot sauce or salsa to add cooked pepper flavor. Nothing wrong with the sharp bite of fresh hot pepper. I often add a fresh pepper or two every day the chili pot is on the stove to keep some of the bite. Different peppers have different flavor characteristics.

Basic chili:

juice or water
cooked hamburger
tomato
beans
cumin

Really a great dish to play with. Amounts can be varied without ruining anything. Probably about a tablespoon of cumin per quart to start.

Scope the fridge once you have the base chili under way. Lots of stuff can fall in the chili pot. I have a buddy that cleans his fridge of leftover putting it all in the chili pot.

Things I've added with decent results:

garlic
cabbage... a favorite
celery
cilantro
chick peas
mushrooms
corn
summer squash
Of course hot peppers of many types. Cayenne and habenera are my favorites. Serrenos if I stuck with store bought peppers.
turkey
venison
chicken
steak... even putting in a steak bone to boil out the flavor. Careful with small bones so they don't get lost and eaten by accident.
beans.... red, pinto, kidney, navy, great northern, black... sometimes several for a colorful chili
refried beans if you want a thick paste type chili
meat geletin like from the bottom of a roast pan... great protien and wonderful flavor

good luck!

: )
lyra

Thanks for starting this one changeling.

Mr. R likes it w/o beans, and I too tend to like it thick but not as hot as he does. He is a habanero person and I almost always think the heat is best added early if you like it hot so it gives that slow burn rather than the fire that you get with hot pepper added in the end. But his is what works for two who like food hot.

My last 2 batches of chili I went from making my worst to my best! wingin' it all the way. I'll share my "best" one. Brown 1+ lb of ground chuck, onion, green and red pepper, and garlic. I added 2 cans of Red Gold Diced Tomatos with Chipotle (what made the chili so good). Then a can of light and dark kidney beans and some tomato paste. In my area we have Bloemers hot chili mix in a tub and I put that in. All this chili took about a tablespoon of salt to get it right. After it was mixed together I moved it to the oven in an emameled cast iron pot for a hour and broke some spaghetti in it. cooked for 15 minutes and it was the best tasting chili I've ever made- even on the first day!

My recipe is also a "winging" it type, so I won't repeat what's been suggested.
I do like a good sprinkling of shredded cheese and a handful of thinly sliced green onions on top.
In fact, this is what we are having for supper this evening. I have finally found a superb cornbread recipe that even my hubby enjoys (cornbread has never been his fav). It's a sweeter version than normal, but quite moist and excellent for breakfast!

The Best Cornbread

2/3 cup sugar (yes, that much)
2 beaten eggs
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornflour
1 cup yellow corn meal (I use half white corn meal)
1 tablespoon baking flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (can use 1/2 buttermilk)

Preheat oven to 400*
Mix sugar and eggs in a large bowl. In smaller separate bowl combine the flours, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Add egg mixture with a quick stir-not too much. Add butter, milk, and cream, stirring just to mix. Do not over mix.
In cast iron skillet add 1 tablespoon butter, set into the hot oven until skillet is heated but before the butter smokes/burns. Pour cornbread mixture into the hot skillet and cook about 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

The main ingredient of chili should be chilies - and I don't mean chili powder. If you start with good dried (or fresh) chilies (or a combination of both), you will get good results. If you use fresh chilies, they should be roasted or sautéed. I normally use a combination of Ancho, Pasilla, and Guajillo dried chilies, but sometimes I also add fresh jalapeño and Anaheim chilies - whatever your market has in stock. Here's my basic recipe for chili sauce. You can add onion to it also (which is what I did a couple of days ago), but it is necessary to remove the skins from the chilies after cooking either through a food mill or a chinois. You can then use the chili sauce for cooking with meat, as you desire, and add additional ingredients.

Some of the ingredients I add include Achiote paste (for a Yucatecan flavor), tomatoes (or tomato paste), and onion. I really don't add much more, or else the subtle flavor of the chili sauce is compromised. The only herb I add is oregano. Generally, I make large quantities of chili sauce and freeze it for later use. The last sauce I made was made with chicken stock instead of water. The chicken stock that I use has been made with lemons and/or sour oranges or limes.

You can buy somewhat acceptable chili sauce in cans, but it is best if you only buy those that contain no tomato and that specify the variety of chilies included. That way you will get the best chili flavor.

Lars

I think like angiers said.....simple is best. As a matter of fact my local newspapers' food section had a section on chili a few months back. One of the favorites was one that had about 8 ingredients. Good ground meat (chuck for flavor), onions...garlic...beans and tomatoes etc. Do what is best for you and your proclivity for 'heat'. Good chili is about the simpliest thing there is. Just make it how you like and enjoy. I add homemade hot sauce and/or salsa which does spice it up some. If you like a good background heat add a 'tad' amount of Daves Insanity Sauce. One bottle lasts most folks a lifetime. Just be careful with it.

Another trick (probably not unknown LOL) to liquify the batch is to pour a bit of beer into the pot. It does make a nice addition to the taste.

Duane

This is my favourite basic chili recipe. I just use this recipe as an outline and every time I make it is is slightly different depending on what peppers I have on hand. Sometimes I use ground beef, and sometimes I use round/sirloin steak or pork cut into cubes. I use different beans. Black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans or chili beans. And I always serve it topped with cheese and homemade salsa with homemade tortillas on the side.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Chili - Tex- Mex Seven Pepper Chili
===================================

==================
3 lbs. lean stew meat-beef, , ground coarse or in ½-inch cubes
1 lb. pork loin, ground coarse or cubed
2 tbsp. pure lard or shortening
3 large yellow onions, chopped fine
2 stalks of celery chopped
2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. ground cumin
7 cloves garlic
1 to 3 Tablespoons( or more to taste) of ground chilis. Use a variety of different ones, i.e Chiles pasillas, equines, chile anchos, dried New Mexico Chilis, etc..
1 tsp. Tabasco sauce
2 tsp. salt
5 jalapenos, fresh, seeded
3 cans tomatoes,
1 can beer (Mexican if you have it)
l-oz. square unsweetened chocolate (Or Mexican chocolate)
2 cups Beef Broth
Dried Pinto, black beans or kidney beans

or canned.
. . Brown meat in fat until no longer pink. Add onions and and celery and
cook until clear. Combine in
food processor or blender the cumin, garlic, and all of the different
chilies., Tabasco, salt, jalapenos, and I can of tomatoes. Blend and
set
aside to steep. Add this mixture to the meat along with the two cans of
tomatoes, the beer, broth and chocolate. Turn fire down real low and
simmer
least 2 hours. If using dried beans add them now. Stir occasionally to
keep it from
sticking. If the meat you have used is lean, you will probably have no
fat
to skim off, but if there is fat floating on the top, skim. Once the
chili
has cooled, you can remove any congealed fat. This keeps well and
freezes well.

TEx-Mex Cookbook

MY BEST CHILI
(takes a while but pretty dang easy)

Ingredients:

6 oz vegetable oil, separated
30 oz pink beans (not kidney)
24 oz tomato sauce
19 oz stewed tomatoes
1 large white onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium serrano pepper, minced
½ lbs ground round, coarse grind
1 lbs beef round, cubed
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
12 oz tomato paste
8 Tbs ground chili (not "chili powder"), mix of any types
Salt & Pepper

Preparation:

Put the beans, tomato sauce, and stewed tomatoes in a large Dutch oven. Turn on low heat.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add vegetables and sauté until onions are transparent and celery is soft. Transfer to the Dutch oven. Mix.

In the same skillet, add more oil and the ground beef and cook until browned on the outside, still pinkish inside. NOTE: You don't want to cook the ground beef all the way through. It will finish cooking in the chili. Add to the Dutch oven and mix, again.

If there isnÂt enough rendered fat from the ground beef, pour additional oil into the skillet and cook the beef cubes in the skillet with the garlic. Cook over medium-high heat for about 7 to 10 minutes. The beef doesn't have to be fully cooked, just like the ground beef, but sear/brown the outside of all the cubes.

Add the cooked beef and the remaining liquid to the Dutch oven.

Add the tomato paste and ground chilies to the whole mix. Mix well and let it simmer on low heat, uncovered, for about 3 hours.

After hour 2, if you find it's a little more "liquid" than you want it to be, stir in up to 4 tablespoons of flour and butter (as beurre manie).

Joe

This may not be exactly what you're looking for, because the recipe does have a fair number of ingredients, but I just found this website and tried her chili recipe and it was superb! The site is http://beckyandthebeanstock.com/ She's doing a cool project -- eating a different heirloom bean each week for all of 2008, and posting the recipe.

My own best chilis happen though when I just throw a few ingredients into a pot, trust my intuition and add seasoning, and let it stew for awhile.

Here is another I have made. I found it on allrecipes a few years ago and made it for our annual October soup party that year.

Fantastic Black Bean Chili

Submitted by: Rebecca Slone
Rated: 5 out of 5 by 163 members
Yields: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS:
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground turkey
3 (15 ounce) cans black beans,
undrained
1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large heavy pot over medium heat, cook onion and garlic until onions are translucent. Introduce turkey and cook, stirring, until meat is brown. Stir in beans, tomatoes, chili powder, oregano, basil and vinegar. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 60 minutes or more, until flavors are well blended.

The red wine vinegar really does add a nice flavor!

Linda

I make a very soupy chili - in the pressure cooker. But it's simple, and (looking at it) can be modified to make it healthier.

MY MOM'S CHILI

1 lb. ground beef (buy the leanest you can and drain it)
garlic and onion POWDER to taste
3 cans (8 oz) tomato sauce (no salt added, fine)
3 cups water (I use the tomato sauce cans, as it also rinses them out)
paprika and chili powder to taste
1 can (15 oz) chili beans - my family prefers Bush's or the grocery store's brand now that Hunt's no longer puts them out

Brown the hamburger, drain well. Sprinkle garlic and onion powder over the hamburger. Add the tomato sauce, water, paprika (I use 1/3 tsp or so) and chili powder (I use a tsp). Stir well. Cover pressure cooker and bring to full pressure, let rocker go for 10 minutes. (Presto or Mirro cooker.)

Put cooker in sink and bring down pressure quickly. When unpressurized, remove cover and add can of chili beans. Wipe off cooker (to dry it off) and put back on stove to heat up beans.

Serve with ... bread, crackers, oyster crackers, or whatever floats your boat.

Though folks look in amazement at my soupy chili, it goes over very well. This is not the recipe to use to cover a baked potato, though.

DonnaR/CA

Well this better be a long winter, I have a feeling I'll be cooking a lot of chili with all the awesome recipes you guys have supplied.
Ann_T, you would have to post that darn picture, now I am going switch from fried chicken tomorrow night to Chili,LOL.

Pescetarian, thanks for the "Bean"link, love home cooked beans both baked and barbecued, but my beans have always come out with a lot to be desired, thats actually putting it mildly!!

I'v always used kidney beans, but I'm going to stop and use the major ones everyone talks about like Pinto, black, pink, etc,.

One thing that confused me was a some of you talked about using ground Chili peppers instead of Chili powder. I thought they were one and the same. Is it possible to get a jar of ground Chili peppers from some manufacturer instead of using the individual chili's and grinding them myself, if so can you recommend a brand or source?
I'm assuming that any recipe that calls for ground turkey, I can substitute hamburger on a 1 to 1 ratio, OK?

Changeling

PS. I've read so many Chili recipes talking about pasila, jalepeno, Serrano, etc, peppers my scalp is starting to perspire, LOL.

Deborah ps

What's cornflour? The recipe sounds delicious, and I'd like to try it.
Thanks in advance.