It is a cold, rainy day here in Colorado today, so chili was an obvious choice for dinner.  We’ve been doing this recipe since the very first year that we met twenty-six years ago, so it is one of our “go to ” recipes.  It is great comfort food and, typical to these types of meals, is even better the second or third day after you make it.  We will often fire roast tomatoes from the farmer’s market and use those to make the chili, which gives an even richer flavor, but we’ve included our traditional preparation here.  Enjoy 🙂

Ingredients

• 1 lb Lean Ground Beef
• 28 oz Can Red Kidney Beans (drained and rinsed)
• 28 oz Can Chili Beans in Chili Sauce
• 28 oz Can Diced Tomatoes
• 4 tbsp Chili Powder
• 1 tbsp Garlic Powder
• 1 tbsp Ground Red Pepper
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

In a large pot over medium high heat, add the ground beef and spices.  It is important to add the spices while cooking the ground beef as it allows the meat to absorb all of the flavor.  Once the ground beef is thoroughly cooked, add the chili beans, kidney beans, and tomatoes.  Fill the can from the chili beans half way with water and pour into the chili, getting any remaining chili sauce from the inside of the can.  Heat to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 4 to 8 hours, stirring occasionally.  The longer that you cook it, the thicker the chili will be.  Serve as is or add cheese, sour cream, jalapeño peppers or any of your favorite toppings.