Hoosier Chili

"There's a 100 different ways to make chili, but this recipe is the gold standard in Southern Indiana. This is my personal family rendition of it, but most hoosiers cook up something very similar to this on those cold winter days in the midwest."
 
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photo by Chef Curt photo by Chef Curt
photo by Chef Curt
Ready In:
2hrs 15mins
Ingredients:
16
Serves:
20
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ingredients

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directions

  • In a very large Soup pot, begin browning the hamburger on medium high. As the hamburger is browning, chop all the onions and peppers coarsely or finely, according to your liking.
  • Stir in the onions and peppers when the hamburger is almost browned and allow to saute in the meat juices.
  • Pour in the tomatoes, beans, and water when the hamburger is completely browned. Stir and allow to simmer for a few minutes and then add all of the spices. Once the chili has begun to boil break the spaghetti into small pieces and add. Spaghetti is the standard, but any pasta can optionally be tossed inches.
  • Now turn the heat down to medium low, and continue to stir and simmer for at least 20 minutes. 20 minutes is the quick and dirty for weekday family suppers, but the chili only gets better the longer it cooks. On a rare lazy Saturday afternoon, I will give it 2 hrs, remembering to stir it every few minutes so it doesn't scorch on the bottom of the pot.
  • Once it is done, serve with crumbled saltine crackers, chopped onions, jalapenos, and shredded cheese as optional toppings. This makes a great family meal and lunches for the rest of the week, or cook it ahead and bring to a gathering or tailgate party during football season. Us Indiana folk wouldn't make it through the winter without this stick to your ribs hearty chili.

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Reviews

  1. Ahhhhh, home. I'm from Rushville, IN, moved to California about 30 years ago with a tour of Navy duty and never left. My Californian friends laughed when I put spaghetti in my chili, so I stopped doing it and cooked it on the side for an addition to the chili if guests so desired. Your photo alone elicited comforting memories and the chili was delicious. I used Chipotles in Adobo to get that smokey flavor like Wendy's chili and found this to be a terrific recipe. Thanks for the memories.
     
  2. I'm also from Southern Indiana...about 30 miles north of Louisville, Ky. This is pretty much how I make my chili too except I use macaroni noodles instead of spaghetti...easier to eat with smaller noodles lol.
     
  3. Outstanding is all i can say--------Thanks so much.
     
  4. Southern Indiana chili doesn't have black beans or green peppers. And it definitely doesn't have any kind of noodles, that's a Cincinnati thing. Chili recipes are specific usually to a city and neighboring counties.
     
  5. I moved from Indian when I was 8 years old and this is a dish I remember all my relatives making. This dish is so comforting. Very hearty and full of flavor. Brings me back to my childhood when my mom made it.
     
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Tweaks

  1. I'm also from Southern Indiana...about 30 miles north of Louisville, Ky. This is pretty much how I make my chili too except I use macaroni noodles instead of spaghetti...easier to eat with smaller noodles lol.
     

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

Cooking is one of my many hobbies, right between fire spinning, model rocketry, gardening, deer hunting, and particle physics. By day I design medical devices at a small engineering research company, but the evening meal is my time to shine. My favorite cookbook to date is John Madden's guide to tailgating. It's definately a masculine cookbook (which I admit is why I bought it), but where else do you find a recipe for a whole roasted pig!?
 
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