Walnut, that recipe sounds wonderful. Just a basic good chili recipe! I have never made chili that didn't have tomato sauce.

Texas chili usually, does not use tomatoes.

KopyKat recipe of Wendy's Chili

(Not as sophisticated as Walnut's.)

2lbs ground beef

1-quart tomato juice

1 29oz can tomato puree

1 15oz can red beans rinsed and drained

1 1/2 c chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup diced green pepper

1/4 cup chili powder

1 tsp cumin (or more)

11 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt (I omit this)

1/2 tsp each black pepper, oregano, sugar

Brown the meat in a frying pan. Drain

Put the meat and the remaining ingredients in a 6-quart pot.

Simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hour stirring every 15 minutes.

We sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese. Sometimes I like a dollop of sour cream.

And when we really want to go crazy, I serve tortilla chips on the side.

I don't really have a recipe; I always just wing it. But here's an approximation of my vegetarian chili recipe (vegan). I tend to like my chilis thick and highly seasoned.

Medium onion, chopped

1-2 fresh Anaheim or poblano chiles, diced (optional)

1 can crushed tomatoes

1 can tomato paste (6 oz)

1 can black beans

1 can white beans

1 can kidney beans

1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

1 small can of corn (7 oz)

Lots of ground ancho chile (2 Tbs, maybe)

Lots of ground cumin (2 Tbs, maybe)

Salt to taste

Saute onion and fresh chilis. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, beans, chili powder and cumin. Cook until the sugars in the tomato sauce have caramelized. Add corn and MORE chili powder and cumin, to taste. Add salt to taste. Serve with rice.

You can do the same basic thing with beef (I use chunks of chuck roast; not a fan of ground beef chilis). You just need to brown the beef first, and plan on a longer cooking time to allow the meat to get fully tender. If you want an all beef chili there's not much more to it until the final seasoning. Or you can add canned beans toward the end if you want beef-and-bean.

Ancho chile powder is not very hot. If you want a spicier chili, you can add cayenne, or small amount of a hotter chile powder, or include hotter fresh chilis. I've also sometimes added canned chipotle chiles (diced), which add a smokey flavor and some heat.

Spices sold as chili powder usually have a mix of ground chile pepper and cumin, and are specifically designed to flavor chili. I tend to do my ground chile and cumin separately for better flavor control.

We were going to make this turkey chili tonight, but it's still a little warm, so we will hold off until Monday when it's going to be cooler. I do not add the extra water since the tomatoes add a lot of water. I use one pot, or this could be made in a slow cooker.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/80969/simple-turkey-chili

All of these sound sooooo good. I'll have to start from the top and work my way down and try them all. I knew I could count on you guys :)

Mine is not at all authentic, but it is ridiculously easy and my Dh and ds like it (dd won't eat anything she deems "spicy")

Brown one pound of ground beef in big pot.

Add chili powder to taste.

add 2 cans of drained and rinsed black beans

add one can of tomato paste

add one big can of plain tomato sauce

add one container of fresh salsa (I use Trader Joe's mild)

simmer until heated through.

Serve with sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt) and grated cheddar cheese. Reheats well. Freezes well.

This was a bit of a pain, and I roasted the chiles in the oven instead of a pan, but it was delicious and got good reviews from family on the 4th of July when I served it....(no bean recipe). The toasted and ground chiles do have more depth of flavor. https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016037-classic-chili-con-carne

I always wing it with chili. I throw ingredients in the crockpot and add more to taste as it cooks. I start with onion and garlic cloves along with whatever meat... beef, turkey, etc in some water. Sometimes, I use a combo of different types of meat. Once the meat is cooked, I add chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, black beans, kidney beans, fresh or canned roasted tomatoes, tomato paste, and corn. I don't drain any of the above canned items unless the mixture is getting too loose. I would add more types of peppers if I had them on hand....

When I first saw this chili recipe, made with roasted chicken breasts from Ina Garten, I thought it was much too much trouble. But for some reason I made it anyway and have to report it is a fantastic alternative to traditional chili - not a replacement of course, but a great twist on a classic. The effort is minimal actually.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/chicken-chili-recipe-1942939

I serve this with chopped tomatoes, red onions, sour cream and corn bread muffins.

My husband is the chili maker in our family, and years ago, he substituted refried beans for part of the beans in the recipe. (I think that's what we had in the pantry) and that's how he's made it ever since.

I’m now officially dying for a bowl of chili. I’m fine with beans in mine.

No printed recipe here, we just wing it. Last week we had several chilly rainy days and I picked up 4 pounds of ground meat, onions, celery, beans, chili powder etc. and our favorite San Marzano whole peeled plum tomatoes (about a 90 ounce can).

We usually make enough to fill a large Dutch Oven - the kids call it a chili vat. And when we're done we freeze several containers - enough to give the kids when they stop over for a visit or for us to defrost when we don't feel like cooking.

I tend to go too light with spices and as I result I usually call DH in for the final taste test. His favorite addition is a little unsweetened cocoa powder - it helps balance the sweetness of the tomatoes.

I'll offer another... my MIL's fastest "chili" ever: brown 1# ground beef, add one large can baked beans, one jar chunky salsa, and simmer. Additional spices to taste. (Not recommended for low sodium diets). Terrific on chips as nachos with cheese.

I use a package spice mix but use one pound of stew beef instead of ground beef. You have to start it earlier in the day but once you start the simmering, you can walk away.

Brown the stew beef, add the liquids, making sure the beef is covered with liquid. Cover and simmer until the beef is tender, about two hours. Then add the spices, beans and cook per the time on the package.

I serve it with a little shredded cheese and some tortilla chips on top. I've won chili contests with this "recipe" :)

I've been making this recipe for years, it's good. A poster from the cooking forum shared it years ago. I use grass fed beef and do use the red wine and add a scant teaspoon of kosher salt. Use good chili powder, not McCormick.

Chili con Carne
Here is my standard recipe which is an adaptation
from Craig Claiborne's low salt recipe from a People Magazine celebrity
cookbook from the 70's.

1 tablespoon oil
1-1/2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1-1/4 pounds ground turkey
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 unsalted tomatoes (I like fire roasted)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed hot pepper flakes
(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).

Woodie (Dudette)

I usually start with a pound of ground beef to feed two of us for two meals. We're not big meat eaters. Brown the meat, but don't break it all up into tiny chunks. You want a chunky chili. Add a chopped onion, a small chopped red or green bell pepper, and four cloves of minced garlic (I notice some of you skimp on garlic. Life is too short!) and saute until vegetables are softened. Drain fat. I add a 15 oz. can of whole tomatoes, coarsely chopped, a 15 oz. can of tomato sauce or puree, and a few tablespoons of tomato paste. Don't add water unless the sauce is very thick. Add more of one of the tomato products if you think you need more sauce. Add about two or three tablespoons of chili powder, one teaspoon of cumin powder, two teaspoons of paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon oregano. Simmer for at least an hour. Stir in two drained and rinsed cans of red kidney beans and heat through.

I never liked cornbread until I found this recipe. It's made with olive oil and is very moist.

1 c. cornmeal

1 c. flour

1/2 c. sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 c. olive oil --I like Bertolli's Extra Virgin because it has a little bit of a lemon flavor.

2/3 c. buttermilk

2 eggs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease sides of an 8" square pan with about a tablespoon or two of shortening. Pop pan into oven to melt shortening.

Mix dry ingredients. Stir in buttermilk, oil, and eggs until dry ingredients are well incorporated.

Remove pan of melted shortening from oven. Swirl to make sure bottom of pan is covered in shortening. Pour batter into hot pan. Bake for 20 minutes until the top is golden brown and slightly domed. If underbaked, it will sink in the middle and you'll have a wet spot of batter in the center.

This is my favorite recipe but it calls for filet mignon so I save this one for when we may have guests (we sponsor local college students who often come for dinner, or if dh is having a couple friends over for a football game, etc). A friend of mine gave me the recipe - she found it online and made it for a chili cookoff and everyone raved about it. It apparently originated at Gallagher's Steak House in NYC. Please note that this is obviously for a large group. I either halve the recipe when I make it or I freeze half of it. I also don't think I use nearly that much butter, nor do I add any at the end like it calls for. Gallagher's Guinness & Filet Mignon Chili

Gallagher's Guinness Stout & Filet Mignon Chili
CDKitchen http://www.cdkitchen.com
Serves/Makes: 15 | Ready In: 30-60 minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup salted butter
1 pound filet mignon, cut in 1/4-inch dice
5 pounds ground sirloin
2 cups onion, cut in 1/4-inch dice
1 chile pepper, seeds and veins removed, cut in 1/8-inch dice
1/2 cup Guinness stout
1/4 cup flour
2 cups crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup tomato paste
4 cups beef stock
1 cup black beans, cooked or canned (rinsed and drained)
1 cup kidney beans, cooked or canned (rinsed and drained)
1/2 cup chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground white pepper
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
***Garnish***
sour cream
diced red onions
diced bell pepper
shredded cheddar cheese
diced tomatoes
chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
Heat a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add half the butter. When melted add the filet mignon and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned.

Add the ground sirloin and cook until no longer pink. Remove the meat and set aside. Drain off all but 2-3 tablespoons of grease from the pan.

Add the onion and chile pepper to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the onion is soft.

Return the meat to the pan and add the Guinness. Bring to a boil for one minute. Add the flour, stirring constantly for one minute.

Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and beef stock. Stir to mix well. Reduce the heat to a low simmer. Add the black and kidney beans, chili powder, cumin, salt, white pepper, and brown sugar. Let simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered. Stir the chili occasionally.

Add the remaining butter and cheddar cheese. Stir well until the butter is incorporated and the cheese is melted.

Serve hot. Place in individual bowls and garnish with sour cream, onions, bell pepper, cheese, tomatoes, and/or fresh cilantro.

This is a simple, delicious chili. I once won a chili contest with this recipe! It's not my recipe - it is one that a mother of DD"s classmate made for the schools International Food Festival back in the late 1970's.

Santa Fe Winter Chili

1 Tbs olive oil

2 lbs lean ground beef

1 green bell pepper, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 cans chunky pasta-style tomatoes

1-2lb can canned red kidney beans, drained

1 Tbl salt

2 tsp chili powder

Brown the meat in the olive oil in a heavy casserole pan. Slice the green pepper. Add, together with the minced garlic. Cook until tender. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 1 1/2 hours on very low heat, stirring occasionally. Serve.

Every one of these sounds so good! Thank you guys!

We def need a recipe. We are not wing-it cooks (you need to have cooking talent for that!)