Chili Even My Mom Likes!

MimmaS's Note:

When my mom says something I've cooked is good and not just "OK" or "it needs more salt" (and that is not often), then I've got a winner. The seasonings for this chili recipe are borrowed from Rachel Ray's Indian Summer Turkey Chili which I think are a great and very tasty combination. You can spice it up even more according to your taste, and play around with the type of ground meat--beef, turkey, venison or chicken even! (My family prefers beef).

• Total Time: 1 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 10

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 ½ lbs ground beef
• 2 -4 tablespoons dark chili powder
• 1 -2 tablespoon McCormick's Montreal Brand steak seasoning
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 2 -3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 -3 teaspoon hot sauce , mild to medium spicy
• 1 large onion , chopped
• 2 large bell peppers , chopped (any color)
• 2 (28 ounce) jars tomato sauce (I use homemade which tends to be thick so I also add a couple ounces of beef broth to thin it out)
• 1 (2 lb) can kidney beans , drained and rinsed
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans , drained and rinsed

Directions:

1. Heat a pot over medium to medium high heat.
2. Add extra-virgin olive oil and ground meat.
3. Season meat by adding chili powder, grill seasoning, cumin, Worcestershire and hot sauce.
4. Brown meat and break into bits.
5. Add onion and bell peppers and cook 10 minutes more.
6. Add tomato sauce (and beef broth if needed), kidney beans and black beans, and bring to a bubble.
7. Let chili simmer 1/2 to 1 hour depending on how thick you like your chili. Remember you can always add more beef broth if it thickens too much.
8. Adjust seasonings and heat level to your taste.
9. Remove from heat and serve.
10. Top with whatever you like. Our favorites include any of or a combination of the following: sour cream, shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheeses, crushed tortilla chips or saltine crackers, sliced black olives, and chopped raw onion.
11. This recipe freezes great. We have also used this to make our version of Chili Cheese Dogs with great success--just make sure it is thick enough not to run off, then smother your hot dog in a bun and throw on any toppings you like (We like shredded cheese or cheese sauce and chopped raw onion and sliced black olives).