Spring Chili Recipes

THREE-BEAN CHILI WITH SPRING PESTO

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the tomatoes and their liquid, 2 cups water, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil.
• Add the chickpeas and cannellini and kidney beans and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.
• Combine the garlic, pine nuts, parsley, remaining ¼ cup oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper in a small bowl.
• Divide the chili among individual bowls and top with the pesto. Serve with the bread, if desired.

THE BEST CHILI

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until just browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden, about 10 minutes.
• Add the jalapeno and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the tomato paste. Cook, stirring frequently, until coated and fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Stir in the beef broth and crushed tomatoes and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the cooked ground beef and any accumulated liquid, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer the chili, partially covered, until the beef is tender and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 30 minutes.
• Stir in the beans and their liquid and simmer uncovered until the beans are softened and the chili is thickened, about 30 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.
• Top with sour cream, Cheddar and scallions. Serve with tortilla chips.

SIMPLE, PERFECT CHILI

Steps:

• Place the ground beef in a large pot and throw in the garlic. Cook over medium heat until browned. Drain off the excess fat, and then pour in the tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and cayenne. Stir together well, cover, and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. If the mixture becomes overly dry, add 1/2 cup water at a time as needed.
• After an hour, place the masa harina in a small bowl. Add 1/2 cup water and stir together with a fork. Dump the masa mixture into the chili. Stir together well, and then taste and adjust the seasonings. Add more masa paste and/or water to get the chili to your preferred consistency, or to add more corn flavor. Add the beans and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with shredded Cheddar, chopped onions, tortilla chips and lime wedges.

SPICY PUMPKIN CHILI

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; cook and stir the beef in the skillet until crumbly and no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in the red pepper flakes, garlic, and onion; continue cooking until the beef has browned and the onion has softened and turned translucent. Add the green and red bell pepper and cook 5 minutes more.
• While the beef is cooking, combine the kidney beans, black beans, Great Northern beans, tomato sauce, tomato sauce with garlic and onions, petite diced tomatoes, fire roasted diced tomatoes, and pumpkin puree in a large slow cooker. Season with pumpkin pie spice, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Stir in the ground beef mixture.
• Cook on Low until the chili is hot, 1 to 2 hours.

SPRING CHILI

Steps:

• Heat up a dutch oven on medium heat.
• Melt 1 tablespoon of butter.
• Chop the green onion, green part included, and put into pot. Stir and let cook 2 minutes.
• Smash and peel one clove of garlic. Mince it very finely. Add to green onion.
• Chop yellow or white onion and add it to the pot. Cook this all for 5 minutes.
• Add ground beef. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned.
• Chop and add parsley and celery. Cook for 1-2 more minutes.
• Add beans and tomatoes. Add 1/3 cup water if it's too thick.
• Add spices. Add salt and pepper to your taste and stir thoroughly. Turn heat up to high.
• Let it come to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Turn down heat and simmer, covered for 10 minutes.
• Enjoy!

THE ULTIMATE CHILI

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef until evenly browned. Drain off grease, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• In a slow cooker, combine the cooked beef, kidney beans, tomatoes, celery, red bell pepper, and red wine vinegar. Season with chili powder, cumin, parsley, basil and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to distribute ingredients evenly.
• Cook on High for 6 hours, or on Low for 8 hours. Pour in the wine during the last 2 hours.