Dad’s Beef & Bean Chili

Sometimes in the bloggy world, you get lucky.

I was going to post this awesome chili recipe – my Dad’s chili recipe – for what I consider to be National Eat Chili Day, otherwise known as Superbowl Sunday. As you can see, that didn’t happen.

So as I prepared to post the recipe a few weeks late, I wondered if there really was a National Chili Day. This is where the internet gods have smiled upon me.

National Chili Day….Thursday, February 28, 2013! What are the chances of that?

So here we go. Not late at all.

Many people feel very strongly about what goes into chili. This is just good old traditional beef and bean chili…the way Dad makes it.

Here’s what you need:

Ground Beef, Onion, Green Pepper, Celery, Chili Beans, Diced Tomatoes, Olive Oil, Chili Powder, Red Pepper Flakes/Cayenne, Salt & Pepper

Click here for a Beef & Bean Chili Shopping List

Chopping – 1 large onion, 1 green pepper, and 2 ribs of celery.

Brown 2 pounds of lean ground beef in a large pot over medium high heat. I use really lean meat (90%) so there is not much fat left in the pan once the meat has browned.

When the meat is nice and browned, remove it from the pan and set it aside. Add 2 Tablespoons of olive oil to the pan (unless you have grease left from browning the meat) and sauté the chopped onion, bell pepper, and celery until tender but not browned, about 5 minutes. As the veggies cook, use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

Add the browned meat back to the pot.

Time to start dumping in the other ingredients. Dad uses canned beans in chili sauce and recommends 2 cans of mild beans and 2 cans of spicy beans.

Add 2 (14 ounce) cans of diced tomatoes and their juices.

Give everything a stir to combine and then add 3-4 cups of water.

Season with 3-4 Tablespoons of chili powder (depending on your taste and also the heat level of your particular brand of chili powder) and 1/2-1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Again, you can adjust these amounts for your own level of spiciness. I like to have good flavor and some spice but I don’t like foods that are burn-your-face-off-spicy. You can always serve various kinds of hot sauce or extra cayenne pepper on the side.

Bring the chili to a boil, then turn the heat down to low, cover, and simmer for 2 hours. Stir the chili occasionally so that the beans don’t stick. Give the chili a taste and season with salt & pepper.

Give yourself a nice big ladleful of chili and add whatever toppings you’d like. Grated cheddar cheese (or queso dip if you want to be really sinful) is my favorite. Jim likes a dollop of sour cream.

Also, if you want to cut down on red meat, this chili tastes great when made with ground turkey.

I’m a big fan of having several chili recipes in your cooking repertoire…this is the 4th or 5th chili recipe at Idiot’s Kitchen. Check out the recipe tab or soup/stew category for various chili options.

I wonder if National Chili Day is a gift giving occasion? And when is Flute Players Eat Chocolate Day?

Here’s the recipe:

Dad’s Beef & Bean Chili