E-Z Chili

Regardless of what time of the year it is, chili is a staple meal in our home. It's cheap, delicious to eat, and doesn't heat up the house more than usual.

Goes great with cornbread!

It's pretty easy to make it, too. Here's what you'll need:

2 packets of chili seasoning
2 lbs of ground beef
2 cans of chili tomatoes (like Rotel)
A few fresh chopped tomatoes (optional)
A handful of chopped green onions (optional)
1 large chopped chili pepper (like Hatch chilies; optional)
2 cans of red beans
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic

First dice the garlic and onion, throw into either a deep skillet or a metal pot with a bit of oil, and let fry for a bit. Then, add the ground beef and brown. After the beef has browned, throw in the chili seasoning. Add in the chili tomatoes and the cans of beans, let simmer for a bit. Finally, throw in the chopped tomatoes, chili pepper, and green onions. Let the chili stew for about 30 min or so to blend the flavors. Serve and enjoy.

Tips:

• Extra chili powder can be added for additional spice if the seasoning packet is too mild. However, I recommend using fresh chilies whenever possible (Hatch chilies are in season right now!)
• If chili tomatoes are not available, you can purchase canned diced tomatoes and canned green chilies separately, then combine
• I recommend using 80% lean ground beef so that you don't have to drain the fat (keeping the fat adds more flavor to the chili). Anything less than 80% lean will require draining, do that before adding the seasoning.
• For a richer chili, use beef chuck roast (like what would be used to make tamales) and slow cook it separately before adding to the chili.
• You can use any onion available, but I recommend using either purple or yellow onions. I like the way they make the chili taste.
• Cast-iron cookware is highly recommended for making this dish 
• Black beans are acceptable for chili, but I recommend red beans. They taste better than black beans
• Mix with scrambled eggs for a hearty breakfast with a kick!