The Best Chili Ever: A Family Favorite

Yesterday, for the first time since summer began, we had a really nice cool day! While it was a bit rainy, it was a welcomed change for sure. Our whole family chatted about how nice the cooler temperatures were and how we really enjoyed the cool breeze. With that in mind, I decided to ‘celebrate’ this occasion with a huge pot of chili. What better way to usher in the new cooler temps than with a hearty bowl of the best chili ever, a dish that is definitely a family favorite.

This chili recipe is quite traditional but it does call for one special ingredient, a single can of beer. And, while the beer does give this chili a very unique flavor, you can certainly cook it without! We have done it both ways over the years!

Ingredients

• 2 lbs ground beef or ground turkey
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1 to 2 Large onions, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 TBS oil
• 2 (15-oz) cans tomato sauce
• 1 (15 1/2-oz can Mexican-style chili beans, undrained
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 (6-oz) can tomato paste
• 1 cup salsa
• 3 to 4 TBS chili powder
• 1 (16-oz) can red kidney beans, drained
• 1 (12-oz) can beer
• 1 (2 1/4-oz) can chopped or sliced olives
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• Salt and Pepper to taste

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Instructions

1. Brown your beef or turkey along with 1/2 tsp of chili powder and 1/4 tsp cumin in a pan until the meat is brown. Stir your meat and break it up in the pan. When fully cooked, drain and set aside.
2. In your dutch oven, saute the chopped onion and garlic until tender.
3. Add the beef or turkey mixture to the dutch oven.
4. Stir in tomato sauce, chili beans, water, tomato paste, salsa, and 3 to 4 TBS of chili powder.
5. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Add drained kidney beans, beer, chopped olives, cumin, and a dash of salt and pepper and stir well.
7. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes
8. Serve with cheese, sour cream, sliced olives, and corn chips

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Notes

Sometimes I make substitutes when needed. For example, I may use picante sauce instead of salsa. Also, if you like spicy foods, then just toss in a chopped jalapeno pepper when you saute the onion and garlic at the beginning of the recipe. My husband loves the kick that the jalapeno gives, but the kids and I feel it is too spicy so we usually don’t add it in. Lastly, remember that you can eliminate the beer from the recipe but the alcohol does cook off and the flavor of the beer makes this chili yummy!

My sweet sister-in-law shared this recipe with my husband and I back in 2004. I still have the computer print out of the recipe and we use it to this day – and yes, it is stained! I am not quite sure where the recipe is from originally, but it has somehow managed to stick around our home for over 16 years! I am so happy to have a chance to share it with you all and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Cheers to cooler weather and to lots more of the best chili ever!