In last night’s stream I mentioned that I was going to make my chili today. Here’s not only the results, but also the recipe by request (reposted and slightly tweaked).

TrubadorPhoto’s chili recipe:

Chop half an onion and several cloves of garlic (you can use those frozen crushed garlic cubes to put in the crockpot instead). In a frying pan with olive oil, lightly cook/brown the garlic and onion, then add 1 and 1/2 pound of 85% to 90% lean ground beef. Drain the excess grease & water. Set aside.

In a crockpot, put in 1 can of kidney beans (drained and rinsed), 1 can of diced tomatoes, 1 small can of tomato paste, approx 8 to 10 oz of beef broth. Set the crockpot to Low for a minimum of 5-6 hours.

Add the ground beef with garlic and onion.
Add a half of a green and/or red bell pepper, chopped.

My spice choices (all to taste):
1 teaspoon Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Chipotle Power
1/2 teaspoon Paprika
1 Tablespoon Basil flakes
1 Tablespoon Parsley flakes
Freshly ground Black Pepper (to taste)
Himalayan or Kosher Salt (to taste)

Stir well, then cover and let it brew. You can stir occasionally (like, once an hour) if you want. At about 3-4 hours in, I’ll taste the chili to see if it needs a bit more of any of the herbs & spices, and will add more at that point, stir again and cover. Once it hits the 5 hour mark (approx 30-60 minutes before it’s done), I stir in a teaspoon or two of corn starch to help thicken, if necessary. At the 6 hour mark, it’s ready for consumption.

To serve, just fill a bowl and top your chili with shredded cheese of choice (mozzarella, cheddar, or Mexican 4-cheese blend). You can also top with sour cream, if that’s your thing (I’m not a sour cream guy, myself).

Fresh French or Italian bread, baguette, or sour dough bread for dipping.

Beer or some other imbibe of choice require.

NOTE: Chipotle powder may be tough to find. I got mine from a local independent spice and tea place near me. You can always substitute smoked paprika for regular paprika, and include cayenne pepper with the chili powder. You can also, instead, add a 1/4 teaspoon of liquid smoke (flavor of choice). If you like your chili spicier, you can always add more “heat” to your liking.