Well, FINALLY, the holidays are out of the way and hopefully I can get back to something resembling normal life.. I get the holiday funk, Im not much of a people person, and the holidays require way too much peopling for me. Brings up bad feelings, dealing with annoying family members, it's just not the most wonderful time of the year for me.
Don't get me wrong, it wasn't all bad, I guess more mentally exhausting than anything. But it's over and here I am ready to share a new recipe with you guys.
This one is adapted from a Paula Deen recipe for chocolate chili. Mine isn't exactly like hers, but it was inspired by Paula Deen. But I always consider a recipe more like a suggestion list not an instruction manual anyway.
Thanks for the suggestion Paula, this one is a keeper.
The family liked it, the whole pot was eaten and it was a huge pot.
My normal chili recipe is more tomato-y, I used canned diced tomatoes and it usually has lots of yummy chunks of tomato. But I didn't want that this time, which is what sent me searching chili recipes for inspiration. That's when I found Paula Deen's chocolate chili recipe.. I love Paula Deen, she is a Southern girl like me. Infact Savannah is only a short drive from me. We are practically neighbors.. So I was sold. Chocolate Chili it would be tonight.
So I got to googling Chocolate chili, and was surprised at the number of chocolate chili recipes there are. So after reading some of them and looking at tons of images of these different chocolate chili recipes. I sat out to create my own version, not really sure how well chocolate was going to lend itself to a tomato based dish with pepper.. But i remember seeing these fancy chocolate candy bars sold in a shop once that were chocolate and chili peppers, and, well, Paula Deen ya'll..
Like I mentioned.. I didn't want a chili with chunks of tomato today, today I wanted something rich and thick and for lack of a better word I guess I'd call it masculine. There is nothing dainty and feminine about the flavor in this chili. I don't really know if that is right either.. Let me try again. If I had to liken this chili to something. Id liken it to a warm summer afternoon on the end of a lake dock fishing and sipping a beer as the sun goes down.. Yes ya'll its that good.
Here is the recipe...
3 bean Chocolate Chili
1lb ground beef
2 cans tomato sauce
1 can red kidney beans with juice
1 can black beans with juice
2 cans chili beans with juice
2 ounces semisweet bakers chocolate
1 small can tomato paste
1/2 cup brewed black coffee
1/3 cup chicken or beef stock
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 onion finely chopped
2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp (or to taste) cinnamon
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tsp cumin
salt to taste ( I like Pink Himalayan salt)
add ground beef, chopped garlic, and chopped onions, to cast iron skillet and cook over medium heat until beef is browned then drain
add beef mixture and all other ingredients to large pot and simmer over medium low heat stirring frequently for at least 30 minutes before serving.
serve with chives, cheese, and sour cream
*** Recipe notes ***
- I love chili because it is such a versatile recipe. You can cook chili 7 days week and have a different dish every single time.
- You can change the meat, the seasoning, the type of peppers, the beans, you can add cheese, or.. well.. the sky is the limit. Here are some things you could do different than what I did..
- This recipe would work with ground chicken, turkey, pork, a mixture of any of the above, or with stew beef meat
- If you want a thicker chili you could substitute any of the beans above with a can of refried beans, or add them in addition to the ones listed
- if you like a spicier chili you could add jalapeno peppers or any other pepper you like
- This chili would be great served over Fritos, or tortilla chips, or even baked potatoes and served with cheese and sour cream and chives
- canned pumpkin is also a great addition to any chili recipe as a thickener and adds great, not weird flavor to your chili.
- cocoa powder can be used in place of bakers chocolate squares, use 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- leftover chili goes great on hotdogs, burger, fries, baked potatoes, nachos, pour cornbread mix over the top and cover in cheese for chili pie, add rice and corn and roll up in a burrito with cheese, top with mashed potatoes and cheese for a shepherds pie, put egg roll wrappers in muffin tin, fill with chili and cheese for chili cups, I could go on and on...
- Pink himalayan salt can be substituted for another type of salt to taste if you'd like
you may want to omit the cinnamon, or cut the amount. The trick here is you don't want to over power your chili with a cinnamon taste you want just the tiniest hint of cinnamon flavor, that makes warms the palette and leave them guessing what was that flavor. It's like the secret ingredient. I have also used nutmeg in place of the cinnamon with great results.
Chili is one of the things I tend to toy with often so check back for more chili recipes and tips in the future.
If you try this recipe let me know what you think, if you have a great chili recipe share it in comments.. Id love to hear from you guys...
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