The perfect chili that feels like a win on game day

Welcome to another installment of “I Made It So You Don’t Have To,” where I find recipes I see as worth trying and let you know how they turn out. We are staying consistent with our theme of comfort meals from last week as temperatures get closer to winter chills. I decided to change it up this week because I was given a recipe by one of my friends, Garrison Kunst, who said his mom made good chili that he had recently perfected. Just like how I follow his guidance for fantasy football picks, I took his word on the recipe. I have never made chili before, but following the new recipe is how you learn. 

Just like the taste, chili is rich in its history. While the exact origin is disputed, it was popularized in San Antonio, Texas by a group of entrepreneurial women known as the ‘Chili Queens.’ This dish brings the depths of flavor from Mexican chili peppers and combines them with the high-quality meat found in Texas cattle. The result is a delicious, filling stew that can be eaten at any time and will leave you satisfied with your creation. 

So, let’s get into the recipe. First, add three pounds of ground beef to a deep pot at medium-high heat to brown the meat to give it a deeper flavor. I did this for roughly six to seven minutes. Stir constantly so it gets evenly cooked without burning. I would advise saving time by cutting vegetables in the meantime, but make sure to not let your meat burn and dry out.  

Add chili powder, salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning and garlic powder to the meat while it is cooking. Cut up onion, red bell pepper and the vegetable that gave this recipe its name: chili peppers. The best part about chili is that it is not an ultra-refined dish that requires precision or perfection. This is why so many versions of it exist—and all of them are delicious. So, cut up these vegetables to the size of your preference. 

One quick pointer about cutting a pepper is, when you cut it in half longitudinally, you will see the skin, the interior, and a bulb with seeds in the middle. Keep part of the bulb to make your chili spicier because this part holds the seeds which make the chili spicier. I thought that the other spices gave this dish enough heat to clear your sinuses, so I only kept the bulb for one of the five mini peppers.  

Drain some, but not all of the excess fat from the cooked beef. Once all of the vegetables are cut to preference, add and stir them into the pot along with the can of crushed tomatoes, about a quarter cup of water and three-quarters of the jar of pre-made tomato sauce. If the chili is too thin, do not worry, as the simmering process thickens it. Let this sit for at least 30 minutes with a lid on to allow every ingredient to mingle. 

Once the time expires, proceed to add any necessary salt and pepper to taste. I saw some recipes that used ground cumin, which I think gives chili an earthier taste and complements the meat, so I used a half teaspoon of it. Add in some sugar and finish adding the rest of the pre-made sauce based on your preferred thickness. I had some left over because I like a thicker chili. 

This dish was a lot of fun to make, especially because of the freedom to add additional ingredients. One thing about this recipe to keep in mind: do not be afraid to season. Whether it is the bitterness from the Cajun seasoning, the sweetness of the sugar or the earthiness of the ground cumin, this recipe invites generous seasoning and is a great practice to learn what spices have what effect on food.  

I made sure to serve this with saltine crackers and shredded cheese, but you can serve this with bread, sriracha sauce, sour cream, and other things that pique your interest. I thought this was a delicious recipe, perfect for weekends watching football, keeping track of fantasy points or studying and in need of a comfort meal. 

Ingredients: 

Three pounds ground beef 85/15 

Four grams “Slap Ya Mama” Cajun seasoning 

Three-quarters Tbsp garlic powder 

One-quarter Tbsp sugar 

One-half Tsp sugar 

One yellow onion 

One red bell pepper 

Five mini peppers 

One 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes 

One can of pre-made tomato sauce 

2.5 oz of chili powder  

One Tbsp salt  

One Tbsp pepper 

Shredded cheese (for serving) 

Saltine crackers (for serving) 

Time: 45 mins – 1 hour 

Price: ~ $39.64 

Rating: 4.9/5