Amy’s Beef Chili recipe

Originally posted August 20, 2008

I don’t know why but I have always loved chili, even when I lived on the east coast. If it had meat and beans, a bit of spice and some tomato sauce, yum-yum! I like it plain, over rice, over a baked potato, with French fries, with nachos and even on top of a salad. I like to call this Amy’s Chili because it’s my own spin.

And probably because I tend to make it every few weeks, my family has come to like it as well. Some times the beans are canned and some times fresh. Some times the meat is beef; other times it could be turkey or pork. Here is a helpful tip. A great way to use up some of those “veggies on the verge” in the fridge is to add them to your chili with the onions.

This is also a great recipe to double; you can put it in the freezer or send down the street to that neighbor who just had a baby. I hope you will try it; I’m fairly sure you’ll like it! Enjoy.

Amy’s Beef Chili recipe

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• Olive or vegetable oil
• 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon each: ground pepper, oregano, and coriander
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 tablespoons mild chili powder
• 1 – 1 1/2 teaspoons sea or kosher salt

Optional: Diced vegetables like carrots, celery, red pepper, sweet potato, zucchini and kale (1/2 – 3/4 cup of each)

• 1 lb lean ground beef or turkey
• 1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes (or 1 can diced tomatoes and 1 can tomato sauce)
• 1 15 ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed*
• 1 – 2 cups gluten-free chicken broth or water
• 1 tablespoon tomato puree
• Salt to taste

*Note-if you only have 1 can/type of bean, use that. You can always use about 2 cups fresh or other types like pinto.

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1. Heat a large pot to medium (I usually do this and then chop the onion). Add oil and then onion and give it a quick stir or shake. Sprinkle with spices, stir, and allow to cook while you prep the other ingredients. If you are using any of the diced vegetables, add these, one type at a time, and continue to cook. The kale will get soft as it cooks in the chili so you don’t have to cook for very long.
2. When the onion/veggies are soft, remove from the pot and place in bowl. Make sure the pan is hot again, add a little oil if the meat is lean, and then the meat. Move the meat around quickly so it covers the bottom and then just let it cook. This enables the meat to brown and develop good flavor.
3. Once the meat is cooked through (drain if necessary), add the onion/veggies, diced tomatoes, beans, broth, and tomato puree. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and cook 20 – 30 minutes. Add more broth or water if the chili is too dry.
4. Taste chili and adjust the seasonings. Add salt to taste as well.
5. Serve with rice, baked potato, or as is.