Mom's Hoosier Chili
"Generations of Hoosier schoolchildren have grown up with this mild chili, which stars Indiana's spectacular home-grown, home-canned tomatoes (including listed brands) rather than fatty beef or sweaty spice. Hot peppers are not native to this snowy state and many residents are still wary of hotness, though tastes are changing; adjust heat to your preference. This economical country dish, extended with pasta to feed however many show up for supper, is an update of my mother's recipe. Even adults who deny this concoction has any claim to the vaunted name of chili love it as a hearty soup—and laughingly argue about what "real chili" is, as they lick their bowls clean like Hoosiers."
- Ready In:
- 1hr 15mins
- Ingredients:
- 14
- Serves:
-
8-10
ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 2 celery ribs, sliced, leaves included
- 1 quart tomato juice (home-canned, Stokely's or Red Gold)
- 28 ounces whole canned tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped (home-canned or as above)
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper, fresh-ground
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 -3 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 lb dark red kidney beans, drained (Stokely's or Red Gold)
- 4 ounces spaghetti, broken (optional)
- 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
- hot sauce
directions
- In large kettle or dutch oven, brown meat, add onions, bell pepper and celery; drain fat and rinse with cold water. Return to kettle, add juice, chopped tomatoes, garlic salt, Worcestershire and chili powder; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 hr, stirring occasionally. Remove lid, toss in pasta and cook until tender. Add beans, heat through. Ladle into bowls, top with cheese if desired and pass hot sauce.
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Reviews
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With my parents' roots being Ft. Wayne and Collumbia City, IN, and your trying one of my recipes, I had to try this. Made as directed except I used soy sauce instead of worcestershire and pinto beans instead of kidney. I knew this would not compare to what we know as chili, (more like what my husband calls Cincinnati Chili Spaghetti), we think this is good. Served with cornbread. Thanks for sharing your recipe. Toni in Colorado
Tweaks
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With my parents' roots being Ft. Wayne and Collumbia City, IN, and your trying one of my recipes, I had to try this. Made as directed except I used soy sauce instead of worcestershire and pinto beans instead of kidney. I knew this would not compare to what we know as chili, (more like what my husband calls Cincinnati Chili Spaghetti), we think this is good. Served with cornbread. Thanks for sharing your recipe. Toni in Colorado
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
My mother left home for college when I was 7, so like my older brothers, I've been cooking from a young age. My dad used to give me 20 bucks and send me to the grocery to feed the four of us for a week. I became very price conscious, and soon learned that "convenience" packaging is expensive. Instead of buying the Chef Boy-Ar-Dee spaghetti dinner, I could buy pasta, sauce and cheese and have money left over for an extra pound of bologna. Then I discovered a recipe for sauce on the back of the pasta box; all the ingredients together were less than a can of sauce, and they tasted better too. Thanks to one recipe on the back of a Mueller's spaghetti box, I've been a scratch cook ever since. Mom graduated and came back home, got a great job and never did learn to cook that well—but all of her sons are fantastic in the kitchen.
