Monday, February 1, 2010

Simple Beef & Kidney Bean Chili


I have been searching for a really simple & delicious crockpot chili recipe for a long time now. Not something exotic, or gourmet. Just super basic.
This is the recipe I was looking for. And, with Super Bowl Sunday around the corner, I figured now would be a good time to post it. You can play with the spices as much as you'd like. I kept them pretty low key, as I was serving this to the whole family & I wanted everyone to enjoy it.
If you don't have a slow-cooker, you can cook the chili in a stockpot over low heat for 2 hours. It will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days {it tastes even better after sitting a day, or more}. It can also be frozen for up to a month.

Begin by finely chopping 2 medium onions, cutting 1 red bell pepper into 1/2" chunks & mincing 6 cloves of garlic.
Heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil in a large stockpot, over medium heat & add in the chopped veggies, along with a whole bunch of spice. You'll need a 1/4 cup chili powder, 1 tablespoon of cumin, 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon of dried oregano & 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
You can adjust the heat of the chili by omitting, or reducing the red pepper flakes & cayenne...or, adding more, if desired.
Saute the veggies & spices until they are beginning to soften & brown {about 10 minutes}.

Add 2 pounds of ground beef, raise the heat to medium high & cook, until no longer pink {about 5 minutes}. Transfer to slow cooker.

Add in 2 {15 ounce} cans of red kidney beans {drained & rinsed},

1 {28 ounce} can of fire roasted diced tomatoes and 1 {28 ounce} can of pureed tomatoes. Give the mixture a stir & cook for 4 hours on high.

Serve with lots of yummy condiments. Such as, fresh diced tomatoes, diced avocado, sliced scallions, chopped red onion, chopped cilantro & shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese.

Simple Beef & Kidney Bean Chili

Adapted from Cooks Illustrated magazine; March 2003
Serves 8-10

2 tablespoons canola oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2" chunks
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pounds ground beef
2 {15 ounce} cans red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1 {28 ounce} can fire roasted tomatoes
1 {28 ounce} can pureed tomatoes
kosher salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes, oregano & cayenne pepper. Saute until the vegetables begin to soften & brown {about 10 minutes}. Add in the ground beef & cook until it is no longer pink, breaking it up as it cooks {about 5 minutes}.
Transfer the beef mixture to a slow cooker. Add in the kidney beans, diced tomatoes & pureed tomatoes. Stir & cook for 4 hours on high.
Season with kosher salt & pepper, if needed & serve with optional condiments...Such as, diced fresh tomatoes, diced avocado, sliced scallions, chopped red onion, chopped cilantro, sour cream, Monterey jack, or cheddar cheese. The chili is best made a day ahead & can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or frozen up to 1 month.
Click here for the printable recipe.

2 comments:

Ed Schenk@ Detroit Eats said...

I always add a little chocolate to my chili.

Anonymous said...

I use buffalo, a little lean so I fry it in a little bacon grease ...pretty good.

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