Try this Classic Easy Chili recipe, or contribute your own.
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small can tomato paste
- 1 cup chopped green pepper
- 1 lb. ground round
- 1 cup chopped white onion
- 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes undrained
- 2 cans (from the tomato paste) water
- 1 19 1/2 oz. can campbell's pork and beans undrained
- 1 tablespoon chili powder (add more if needed)
- 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin (add more if needed)
- Carbohydrate 39.05132 g
- Cholesterol 308.4428116 mg
- Fat 72.4658155014474 g
- Fiber 9.49959990882873 g
- Protein 92.946501583 g
- Saturated Fat 27.3300524243998 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (776g)
- Sodium 544.183037116696 mg
- Sugar 29.5517200911713 g
- Trans Fat 10.1356191839392 g
- Calories 1174 calories
Step-by-step
- In large Dutch oven over medium heat, brown the ground round.
- When meat is nearly done, add olive oil and allow to heat.
- Add onion and green peppers to meat.
- Stir and cook about five minutes, stirring frequently.
- Pour in tomatoes, tomato paste, and water.
- Stir to mix well and add chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.
- Stir to mix well and bring to a boil.
- Turn down to a simmer and add beans.
- Stir and cook about 45 minutes on medium-low, stirring frequently.
- Serve with grated cheese, chopped onions, frito chips, sour cream.
Ingredient lists rarely account for the physical tools required to execute them properly, yet the choice of cooking vessel dictates thermal distribution throughout the entire process. A heavy-duty enameled cast-iron Dutch oven provides the steady, even heat necessary to brown ground round without scorching the dairy solids and proteins that adhere to the bottom of the pan. Standard thin-walled stockpots often create hot spots that burn the tomato paste before the vegetables soften. When sweating the chopped white onion and green pepper alongside the meat, maintaining a medium heat prevents the moisture from releasing too rapidly, which would otherwise steam the vegetables rather than browning them. Sequencing matters significantly when incorporating canned pork and beans; adding legumes too early in a long simmer can cause starches to break down completely and turn the liquid cloudy. Introducing the beans during the final forty-five minutes of medium-low simmering allows them to absorb aromatics while retaining their structural integrity. Stirring frequently prevents thicker tomato solids from settling against the base of the pot where direct heat transfers through the metal. Measuring spices like chili powder and cumin directly into the liquid rather than blooming them in fat changes how the earthy compounds disperse, requiring a slightly longer simmer to meld the flavors thoroughly.
