Family favorite chili … with beans.
I just wanted to be up front about that because there is an ongoing debate about whether or not beans belong in chili. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, “My kitchen, my rules. Your kitchen, your rules.” Just don’t call this version “Texas-style”, and if you’re really persnickety, you can just call this recipe “Chunky Meat & Bean Stew.” 😏
This recipe has been a family favorite for years, and we have a tradition of eating chili on Halloween before a big night of trick-or-treating. Even though we are NOT trick-or-treating this year (thanks, Covid), we can at least keep part of the tradition alive by eating a big helping of warm chili. Prep this in the morning by pre-cooking the meat and vegetables before transferring it to a slow cooker along with the remaining ingredients. Cook it on low for 7 to 8 hours, and it’s ready by dinnertime!
P.S. Several years ago when I worked in an office, I won a lunchtime chili cook-off with this recipe! Good times.
Makes 12 servings
Ingredients
3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
2 lbs ground beef or ground sirloin
1 lb Italian sausage, (casings removed if purchased in links)
1 large onion, chopped
2 Tbsp freshly minced garlic
3 celery stalks, diced
2 red bell peppers, chopped
2 jalapeños, seeded and diced small
6-oz. can of tomato paste
2 (28-oz.) cans diced tomatoes, in juice
1 cup of beef broth
2 (15-oz.) cans of chili beans in sauce, partially drained (do not rinse!)
1 (15-oz.) can of black beans, drained
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 (7-oz.) can of salsa verde
2 tsp hot sauce (like Texas Pete)
1/4 cup chili powder
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 - 1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
Kosher salt
For serving:
Shredded cheese,
Sour cream
Green onions, chopped
Avocado
Sliced jalapeños
Fritos
Directions
In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil on medium-high. Add all of the meat with a generous pinch of salt, and sauté until brown. Transfer to the slow cooker.
In the same pan, heat the remaining 2 Tbsp of olive oil. Sauté the onion, garlic, celery, red bell peppers, and jalapeño with another generous pinch of salt until everything starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir into the vegetables until well-incorporated. Transfer to the slow cooker.
Into the slow cooker, add the remaining ingredients with one more tsp of salt. Stir well to combine. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Serve with toppings on the side.
Visuals
Brown the beef and Italian sausage together until brown. I like to leave some larger chunks of meat, instead of breaking everything up completely.
Transfer the meat to the slow cooker.
In the same skillet, sauté the vegetables until they start to soften.
Add the tomato paste.
Stir to combine, then transfer to the slow cooker.
Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker.
My secret ingredient!
Stir well. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours.
Keep warm until ready to serve.
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