How to Make Thick Homemade Chili

Nothing warms you up after a cold day quite like a hot bowl of thick homemade chili. This chili recipe is simple to make, you can do it stove top for faster results, or let your chili stew all day in a crock pot. Either way, your chili will warm the soul as well as the body!

Things You'll Need

• Stove
• Crock pot or slow cooker
• Skillet
• Colander or strainer
• 1 to 2 lbs ground beef
• 15 oz can dark red kidney beans
• 15 oz can light red kidney beans
• 15 oz can spicy chili beans (optional)
• 29 oz can tomato sauce
• 29 oz can crushed tomato
• 1 medium to large onion
• 1 green pepper (optional)
• 1 Tbs Chili powder
• 1/2 tsp Cumin
• 1/2 Tbs Cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped jalapeno (optional)

Instructions

1. Coarsely chop onions and green peppers, and mince garlic. Add along with ground beef to a skillet over medium heat. Cook until beef is well browned and crumbly. Strain through colander to remove excess fat, the more fat you drain off the better your chili will be. Add beef mixture to either a slow cooker or a stock pot, whichever you are using to make your chili.

2. Open all three cans of beans, and strain through colander. You may wish to use all three different kinds of kidney beans for your chili, or you may choose to stick with just one. Either way turns out very good, but using the different kinds gives extra visual appeal to your chili. Chop jalapenos, if using, and add to your chili pot. Pour contents of the cans of crushed tomatoes and the tomato sauce on top of all other chili ingredients.

3. Add your chili spices at this point. The above listed is only a guideline, add more or less to taste. In addition to chili powder and cayenne pepper, several other spices and herbs can go good with your chili. Basil is a good addition, as is parsley, Old Bay, cumin, cilantro, and even black pepper. A good rule of thumb with spices is to start with a smaller amount, stir well, and taste test to gauge whether you need more in your chili. Cumin can quickly overpower chili, so use in very small amounts.

4. Turn the heat on low if you are cooking your chili on the stove, or turn on your crock pot. Since the ingredients are all cooked before adding in to this chili, it will only need to heat through. However, chili always tastes better if allowed to stew and cook longer, so the flavors can blend together well. Also, it allows the crushed tomatoes to cook down a little more. I would suggest 2 hours stove top, stirring regularly, or a minimum of 5 hours in a crock pot for cooking chili.

5. You can garnish your chili with fresh parsley, a grating of fresh cheddar cheese, and serve with saltine crackers. Fair warning, this recipe for thick homemade chili doesn't leave a lot of soupiness for crackers!

Tips & Warnings

• If making for a family, use less spice in your chili, you can add cayenne and black pepper to individual bowls, making it good for those who don't like as much heat.

• Use care when handling hot items on stove, or when straining hot grease off ground beef.