Super Bowl of Chili

I'll admit it - the Super Bowl for me is more about the food and the commercials than the game. And, I'm thinking of bringing chili to a party I'll be going to, so today I dug out a favorite old recipe. I haven't made it in years and wanted to try it again. Chili is pretty serious Super Bowl food . . . 

This recipe barely resembles the original and has been played with so many times over the years that I finally just rewrote it with all of the ingredients I used today. It turned out awesome (husband loved it) and it is now going to be my "go to" chili recipe. The original was called Chili Con Carne Con Frijoles and it was from a Mexican food "pamphlet" that I picked up somewhere in the 70s. I'm renaming my new creation "Mimi's Chili."

Mimi's Chili

A note about the instructions: I take an extra step with the onions because my husband cannot tolerate raw, or even cooked onions, if they are too big or have any crunch left in them. He does like the flavor, so I saute the heck out them until they are limp as can be. Seems to work for him. If you do not have a onion-intolerance go ahead and cook them in the skillet once the ground beef is almost browned (along with the garlic too.) This is not a really spicy chili - if you like it hot add more chili powder. The original called for 2 tablespoons instead of my 2 teaspoons. You can also serve your favorite hot sauce with it.

Mimi's Chili

2lbs lean ground beef

1 chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons seasoned salt (I use Morton’s Nature's Seasoning)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

pinch ground pepper

2 tablespoons “double concentrated” tomato paste (I keep a tube in the fridge)

2 – 7 oz cans Herdez Salsa Verde

2 – 11.5 fl.oz cans Snap-E-Tom Tomato & Chile Cocktail

2 – 15.25 oz cans S&W kidney beans, drained

1 – 14.5 oz Muir Glen Organic Diced Tomatoes w/ fire roasted green chilies 

       (chop them even more in a food processor)

Cook ground beef in a large skillet. Remove with a slotted spoon to a large soup pot. In the same skillet, add the chopped onion and garlic to the drippings (if there is too much liquid, drain some of it before adding the the onions) and cook until very soft. Transfer onion and garlic to the pot with the beef.

Add the spices and tomato paste and stir. Add the remaining ingredients, stir, and simmer uncovered on low for at least an hour to allow the flavors to develop. Stir occasionally. I like to serve the chili on rice with a choice of toppings: sour cream, green onions, grated cheese, avocado cubes, and Cholula Hot Sauce.