Sunday = Football and Chili

It looks like this outside today

 So I'm making chili. After I annoy the animals with pictures.

Okay, chili time. I used to be a huge wimp, so when my mom made chili she made 2 batches: 1 spicy and with beans (technically not chili, but we'll get to that soon) and 1 bland and without beans. It was basically meat sauce, now that I really think about it, but that's what I wanted. I've since graduated to spicy chili after realizing that I enjoy spicy foods (yay!) but I still refuse to add beans to chili. Traditional chili does not contain beans, which is a really convenient anecdote for bean haters such as myself. Add beans if you want, just don't call it chili.


Ingredients:
1lb Ground Beef
2-3 Medium Onions
1-3 Cloves of Garlic
28oz Tomato Sauce
2 Cans Chili Tomatoes
28oz Diced Tomatoes
Cayenne Pepper
Chili Powder
Cumin
Paprika
Salt
Pepper
Shredded Cheddar Cheese, Tortilla Chips, 
Oyster Crackers, Diced Onions to top

Directions:

Combine beef, onions, and garlic and cook on medium-high heat until beef is mostly cooked through. Drain excess fat if necessary.

Add tomato sauce and chili tomatoes. Season to taste. I use about 2 tbsp cayenne pepper, 1 tbsp cumin, 2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp each salt and pepper, and almost a whole jar of chili powder. Be sure to taste as you season. You'll get a lot of saltiness from the meat and tomatoes, so don't over-season!

Add diced tomatoes and check seasonings. (I added more chili powder)

Let chili simmer until onions are soft.

 

Top with whatever you like. I add cheese and oyster crackers.

Change the ingredients depending on what kind of spiciness you like. For chili, I like all over heat that kind of sneaks up on you. Like you're halfway through your bowl before you realize your eyes are watering. That's what this recipe does; you feel it in your throat before you feel it on your tongue. 

If you like instant heat that you can feel on your tongue right away (think hot wings) add chili peppers to the beef, onions, and garlic. You can also add some hot sauce and more cayenne pepper to change the heat profile.

Stay warm!
Tracy