Company Chili

I used to rely on Frontier’s Fiesta Chili Seasoning for flavor in our chili. That was before we found out Mikah is allergic to garlic, which is an ingredient in the Fiesta Chili blend. We eat chili regularly, so I’ve been playing around with seasoning it myself, sans garlic. I think I finally got it right.

I served this chili to our friends who came over on Sunday after church. I call it Company Chili because this is a really big batch, but it can easily be halved. I like to add rice to our chili to make it a one-dish meal. If you want to add garlic, go ahead and saute a few cloves (chopped) with the onions and hamburger.

Saturday night, I cooked a big pot of pinto beans in the crockpot, so they were ready to go in the morning when I assembled the chili. Since I made it in the morning before church, I transferred the whole potful into my 6.5 quart crockpot, turned to low and the chili was warm and welcoming when we returned for our after-church meal.

Company Chili

serves 12, with leftovers

• 4 pounds grass-fed ground beef
• 2 large onions, diced
• 1 or 2 bell peppers, seeded and diced
• 2 6-ounce cans tomato paste
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 8 cups filtered water
• 6 cups cooked pinto beans
• 2 cups cooked brown rice (I like basmati or jasmine)
• 5 teaspoons cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• salt and pepper, to taste
• garnishes (optional): diced onions, tomatoes or avocados; sliced olives; shredded cheese; salsa; tortilla chips; hot red pepper flakes

Brown the ground beef, onions and bell peppers over medium heat in a 12 quart stockpot. Drain excess grease. Salt and pepper liberally. Whisk together both cans of tomato paste with 4 cups of water. Add to pot. Add additional 4 cups of water, diced tomatoes, pinto beans, rice and seasonings. Adjust seasonings. Let simmer for an hour or so to let flavors merge. Adjust seasonings again. Serve with garnishes, whole-grain bread and salad.

© Copyright 2006 by Wardeh Harmon