Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Mama's Chili



This chili says "home" to me. I am not a picky eater in the least. And I love "chili" because it means something different to everyone. Some people make theirs extra thick or spicy or with chicken. The options are endless and I enjoy trying every variety. But this recipe in particular comes from my mom's recipes. And though I don't normally follow recipes to the T, I did this time because I had a hankering for Mom's chili. It's just the perfect thickness and you can add as much chili powder or Tabasco sauce that you want if you love heat. And don't forget about the endless topping options. :) Tonight, I'm serving this with a loaf of fresh white bread. What's better than that?!

Actually the reason I'm making this tonight is because I just found out an hour ago that my parents my arriving at our home tonight. Oops. Totally missed that memo. I guess I thought we were meeting them at Kevin's parents' house tomorrow for Thanksgiving dinner. I was cracking up as I overhead the conversation Kevin was having with my mom as she said they should have left the house a while ago. What?! Tonight?! I wanted to have something for them to eat when they arrived and I wanted it to be home cooked but not overly strenuous. This chili goes together in 30 minutes or less. Then just let it simmer away to goodness. :)


Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2-28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
2-8 oz cans tomato sauce
2-15 oz cans kidney beans
1 tsp salt
3-4 tsp chili powder
2 bay leaves

Brown the ground beef in a 6 quart sauce pan. Add onion, green pepper and garlic. Saute until softened. Add spices. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and kidney beans. Season additionally as desired. Cover and simmer for at least one hour.

Serve with extra hot sauce, grated cheese, sour cream, crackers, cilantro or anything you feel like adding. :)

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