The only Chili recipe you will ever need

Chili is definitely a fall and winter meal. It is so wonderful to sit over a steaming bowl on a brisk evening and let the cheese and sour cream melt into the beans and meat. There are so many chili recipes out there that are not very hearty, though. They end up too watery/soupy without enough spice and kick to keep my taste buds interested. This recipe has a lot of meat in it, so all the men out there should like it, but I think it maintains a good balance of meat to beans to spices. It is a great option for a hungry group watching the Sunday football game, for a super simple but hearty fall meal with friends, or for your family to have a ton of leftovers to get you through the week.

One note—if you plan to have this on a weeknight, I recommend putting it together the night before. It’s not a hard recipe to put together, but it can be a bit time consuming, and it needs to simmer for 2 hours.

Without further ado, here is…

The Only Chili Recipe You Will Ever Need

Ingredients
  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 pound ground Italian sausage
  • 3 (15 ounce) cans chili beans, drained
  • 1 (15 ounce) can chili beans in spicy sauce, undrained
  • 2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
  • 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 green pepper, chopped
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
  • 3 strips of bacon, cooked and cut into bits (optional)
  • 1/2 cup beer
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons Tabasco hot sauce
  • 1/4 cup chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon white sugar
  • For serving—Shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and homemade Maple Cornbread.
Directions
  • Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and sausage and cook until evenly browned. Drain off most of the grease and put the meat back into the pot.
  • Pour in the chili beans, spicy chili beans, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste. Add the onion, green and red bell peppers, jalapeño peppers, bacon bits, and beer. Stir to combine.
  • Season mixture with garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco sauce. Stir again.
  • In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, oregano, cumin, basil, salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, and sugar. Add to pot and give it a good stir.
  • Stir to blend, then cover and simmer on low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. (The longer you let it simmer, the more the flavors blend together, and the better it will taste.)
  • To serve, ladle into bowls, and top with sour cream and shredded cheese. We always serve it with Maple Cornbread too!

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