Monday Meals: Chili

With the up coming (now passed) ice storm that we received in Arkansas; the Arkansas Test Kitchen thought it would be a great idea to make some food that could be heated on the wood burning stove- in case we were to lose power. So, what better food to make than chili? Plus, one of our loyal readers (Rachel) had requested a Cool Dads Cook chili recipe.

So Rachel without further ado; here is your chili recipe!

Doug and Ken's Chili

2 lbs ground meat (either ground beef, turkey, pork, or a combination)
1 onion, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs. oil
32oz. can tomato sauce
1 28 - 30 oz. can diced tomatoes (fire roasted diced tomatoes add a great flavor)
1 14.5 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 14.5 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 14.5 oz. can kidney beans drained and rinsed
Onion powder to taste
Garlic powder to taste
Ground sage to taste
Oregano leaves to tasteChipotle Tobasco Sauce
Carroll Shelby's Chili Kit

Directions:

1. Sauté onion, bell pepper, and garlic in oil for approx. 5 minutes in a large pot over medium to medium high heat.
2. Brown ground meat in the pot with the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook until all meat is brown, over medium to medium high heat
3. While the meat is browning, add in your first round of seasonings: onion power, garlic powder, ground sage, oregano, and Chipotle Tobasco. The idea is to season the meat. DO NOT USE CHILI KIT YET!
4. Once all the ground meat is browned, pour in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and spice packet from Chili Kit and turn heat to medium low to simmer for approx. 30 minutes.
5. Dump in all the cans of rinsed beans, and mesa packet from chili packet into the chili pot.
6. Let sit for approx. 15 minutes, stirring frequently so the beans will not stick to the bottom of the pot.
7. Taste the chili and add additional seasonings as needed.
7. Serve with corn chips, grated cheese, and sour cream.

 So why is the chili recipe called Doug and Ken's chili? About ten years ago; a friend of mine and I decided we wanted to make chili. So, we started dumping things into our soup pot until this recipe was created. Since then, Ken has passed away, however he had a significant influence on my cooking style.  Every time I make this chili recipe; I always remember making it with him. I remember looking into the spice cabinet and figuring out what spices will go great with our chili; and looking into the cupboards to see what we had that we could dump into the chili. Our first couple of tries were ok; but this is was the best chili we created together; in my humble opinion. I hope you and your families enjoy it as much as we do!

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew