Cozy Chili

There is something about Chili when the weather transitions from being hot to cold. It just makes me feel warm and cozy inside. This is a basic chili - nothing fancy and nothing lean about it. (To make it leaner, you can definitely leave out the bacon and use ground turkey instead of ground beef.) But it's all real ingredients, real food. So in my book, that is healthful. All in moderation.
 

Ingredients:

6 pieces of bacon (preferably thick-cut), sliced into 1/2 in pieces. (This can be left out and swapped with a couple tablespoons of oil.)
2 lbs ground beef
2 onions, diced
2 bell peppers, diced (I like to use red and yellow)
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp paprika
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp flour (optional)
1 (24 oz) can crushed tomatoes (I like San Marzano tomatoes)
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 (15 oz) can black beans
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Heat a big pot over medium high heat. Once heated, add the bacon and cook until some fat renders and bacon pieces are starting to crisp. If not using bacon, heat a couple tablespoons of oil.  Once heated, add in the onion, bell peppers, garlic and season with some salt and pepper. Cook until softened and fragrant.

Next, add in the spices and flour (if using). I like to throw in a little flour to thicken up the chili even more. But this is totally optional - it is still delicious without. Stir it all around, making sure everything is thoroughly coated and mixed. Cook this until you can smell the spices, 1-2 minutes.

Move the content in the pot to the sides and add half of the ground beef, add salt and pepper. Cook until brown, and do the same with the second half of the ground beef.

Finally, pour in the crushed and diced tomatoes (with juice) and the black beans. Stir everything together. If you feel like it needs more liquid, pour in 1/2 - 1 cup of water. Bring it all to a boil, cover, and let simmer for 1.5-2 hours.  You can also place into a slow-cooker for 3 hours on high or 4-6 on low. Check the seasonings and adjust accordingly with salt and pepper.

Serve with your favorite toppings! Ours are tortilla chips, diced onion and jalapeños and/or chives. It is also delicious over quinoa. :) 

Make a fire, or pretend like I do sometimes, and curl up with a bowl of chili this Fall and Winter.  <3