As I scoop the last spoonful into my mouth, I'm now immediately coming to the laptop to write down how I made tonight's chili, because it's the first time I've ever really liked a chili more than my regular "go to" chili I've made for years. I still love 'my' chili but I love this one just as much - and that is something I've never said before about any chili I've had in almost 20 years.
Even though we are typically low carb and keto - when it's winter time, I crave chili once in a while and I absolutely love chili with beans. L.O.V.E. my chili with beans. Beanless chili is... fine I suppose but I'll pass it up for whatever other food item is available. I love the texture and feel of a chili made with beans. That is why even though we almost never have beans at other times; when it's December and January and I'm craving chili... I will make it with carby-chili beans and that's all there is about that!
Now, tonight I made a different version than my regular 'go to'. I started with my general go-to, I used a couple ingredients from another chili recipe (Worcestershire I'm talkin' to you), and then improvised what I thought would be good in it. Oh it is good. So good that I want to make sure my young adult kids have the recipe at their fingertips if they want to make it.
Homemade Chili
4-5 slices bacon
1/2 lb. mild Italian sausage (crumbled)
1/2 lb. ground beef
2 medium onions
3 t minced garlic (fresh)
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 can medium green chilies, diced
2 t Worcestershire sauce
1 T chili powder
2 cans (15 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 can (15.5 oz.) Bush's Black Chili Beans
1 can (16 oz.) refried beans
salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Cook the bacon in a pan until crispy and break up with your spatula. Add the sausage and ground beef and brown it - adding the onion towards the end. During the last 2 minutes of cook time, add the garlic. Turn off the heat and add the rest of the ingredients to a crock-pot or slow cooker of choice; or you can slow cook the chili on the stove all afternoon too. Up to you. But in the crockpot or a large pot, put the green peppers, green chilies, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, tomatoes and beans. Add the meat and onion mixture. Stir. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Slow cook all day or at least 3-4 hours if you can wait that long.
(You can serve with bread and butter or cornbread. Tonight I served with sugar free keto coffee cake muffins; the muffins with a bit of cinnamon in the topping paired perfectly with the chili.)
