Chili With Beef

Adapted from Gourmet

Take a minute right now and forget what you know about chili.

The rules.  The limitations.  The expectations.

Wipe it from your memory.

Ready?  Okay!

This chili will knock your socks off and have your people swooning from happy taste buds and full bellies.


It's not complicated in the least, and the most labor-intensive part of the process is the dicing and prep that goes into the garlic, onions, and green bell peppers (unless you cheat and use your handy dandy Pampered Chef Manual Food Processor-- Then it's a breeze!).

Anyhow, here's the secret!


You'll need:

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 2 large onions, chopped

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

• 1/2 a bag of shredded carrots (Gourmet suggested 2 sliced carrots, but thinly shredded carrots are more my style. I chopped them up a bit in addition to them being shredded)

• 3 pounds lean ground beef

• 1/4 cup chili powder

• 2 tablespoons paprika

• 1 tablespoon ground cumin

• 1 tablespoon crumbled dry oregano

• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (More or less depending on your love of heat)

• 2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce

• 1 can diced tomatoes

• 1 1/4 cups beef broth

• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar

• 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt

• 1 teaspoon of pepper

• 2 green bell peppers, chopped

• Optional: Shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and/or diced pickled jalapenos as toppings

Heat the oil in a large pot on low and add the onions, cooking them for 5-10 minutes. Add in the garlic and carrots, cooking for an additional 2(ish) minutes.  

Raise the heat to medium and add in the ground beef, cooking until brown and breaking up any lumps. Add in all of the spices (except salt and pepper) before adding in the cider, broth, and cans of tomato sauce and diced tomatoes.

Cover and simmer for 40 minutes or so.

Add in salt and pepper along with the green bell peppers and cook for 15 minutes or so, until peppers are tender.

Grab a bowl, fill it to the brim with the deliciousness, and top it to your heart's content