Every once in a while, a post request comes up that my hubby can do way better than I could, and cooking is usually one of those things. We were asked to share a recipe that is great for entertaining, and my hubby’s chili recipe was the first thing that came to mind. It’s easy to make, it’s delicious, it goes a long way, and it’s perfect for when it’s cold outside… It’s also great for pot lucks for these very same reasons! So without further delay, I present to you, my hubby:
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I’d like to say this recipe was handed down throughout many generations and everything was made from absolute scratch. Unfortunately this recipe is not an old world, family recipe.
In the late 90’s I was a young Marine stationed at MCAGCC, Twentynine Palms, in the southern California desert. I worked 13 miles away from mainside and worked odd hours sometimes, so instead of being able to visit the regular dining facilities they paid us a small stipend to buy our own food. It wasn’t enough to eat out on, you weren’t allowed to have any cooking appliances and you couldn’t store much food in your barracks room. From time to time we bent the rules a little, and this recipe is born of that situation.
Chili is essentially meat and beans and you add whatever you you’d like. It’s a great dish to express yourself with. It’s a dish that many people enjoy from all over the country and few people turn down a bowl. I’ve always especially enjoyed it with sweet cornbread, so keep that in mind. My chili consists of the following components:
What you need:
1lb Ground Beef
1lb Ground Italian Sausage
(1) small to medium onion
(1) Green Bell Pepper
(1) Red Bell Pepper
(1) Poblano Pepper
(1) 15oz can of Kidney Beans
(1) 15oz can of Pinto Beans
(1) 15oz can of Black Beans
(2) 15oz can of tomato sauce
(2) McCormick Mild Chili seasoning packets
Garlic, lots
How you make it:
Start by browning the ground beef and sausage. Add them to a 5QT or larger slow cooker along with both seasoning packets, the tomato sauce and each can of beans (undrained). Mix all of the ingredients in the slow cooker well and set it to cook on low.
Chop the peppers, onion and garlic into small chunks and add to the pot. I usually add some garlic at the beginning and then add some more about 30 minutes prior to serving to have a stronger garlic flavor and aroma. The chili needs to simmer for a while. It needs at least a couple of hours but 3-4 hours is the length I let it cook for most often.
This recipe has been requested by friends and family ever since I made it the first time. It has usually morphed or changed a little with the availability of ingredients, but it’s always been a quick meal to make with preparation time taking just 15-20 minutes.
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We picked up all of our ingredients on a super quick stop at our local Walmart store. Everything was easy to find, and if I remember correctly, we paid less than $20 for all of it! If you’re looking for more of a family meal, it’s great because it feeds 8-10 people. We love it because we always have leftovers, and yes… we make sweet cornbread to serve with our chili!
What’s one of your favorite holiday entertaining recipes? If you have one to share, please feel free to post a link in the comments section!