Chili

We make chili every year for our Super Bowl party and it has evolved quite a lot since the first year. My husband likes it spicy and this year by replacing some of the beef with chorizo and using tomatoes that already had habaneros mixed in, it definitely was hot. Too hot for me honestly, but he and all the chili lovers loved it.

Ingredients

2 pounds lean ground beef
1 pound chorizo sausage crumbled
6 slices of bacon crumbled
2 small chopped onions
12 cloves garlic, minced
3- 15 ounce can tomato sauce
3- 15 ounce can red kidney beans, drained
3- 14 1/2 ounce can diced tomatoes with Habaneros (Hot) undrained
3 tablepoons chili powder
1-1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2/3 tsp garlic powder
2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1-1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp Bobs Big Boy Seasoning Salt (optional)

Directions

1. In an 8-quart saucepan cook and stir ground beef, chorizo, chopped onion, and the garlic over medium heat until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain off fat.

2. Stir in tomato sauce, drained beans, undrained tomatoes, bacon pieces, chili powder, basil, pepper, garlic powder, cinnamon, Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and Bobs Big Boy Seasoning salt. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. To serve, ladle chili into bowls. If desired, top each serving with cheese, and/or sour cream.

This makes a lot of chili - probably about 6 quarts.  But the base is pretty easy to reduce, just adjust the spicing accordingly. Or make it all, it freezes well.

I made a mild version too, for the kids and the wimps like me.  Just to make sure people chose the right one for them, I put chalkboard labels on the pots.