Maggie's Marvelous Chili

Two versions, here!  The first, we used for a looooonnnnngggg time, as our children were growing and being picky eaters.  The second, we have evolved and use now that the kids are grown & mostly gone.  Both are good, but as is typical of all evolutions, we sort of like the new one better!  Either way, it makes a very tasty chili that everyone loves.

You can make this chili in the crock pot - just cook the meats first & dump the rest in.  Since everything is already cooked, all you need to so is heat it up, so don't leave it in the crock too long!





Simple chili recipe
This recipe is always a hit with kids, since they can see all the ingredients, & there is no "yucky stuff" hiding in it.  We once won a big chili cook-off by a landslide with this recipe because all the kids loved it & voted it over their parents' recipes!
1 lb hamburger
1 can black beans
1 can dark red kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can black eyed peas
1 small can tomato paste
Sprinkle of each spice:  salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, cumin, cilantro, chili powder, cayenne pepper, coriander (the exact amounts are something that takes practice - I typically add roughly the same amount of most spices, except more cumin and less coriander.  Start with less spice (just a sprinkle), then add more if you think it needs it!  You can use a package mix, if you'd rather, but I think that just adding spices tastes better!)

Cook the hamburger; drain.  Add the beans and tomato paste, including all the juices.  Stir in the spices.  Warm to eating temperature.  Serve.

Optional stuff to make it even better:  cheese, frozen corn (in the bowl to help cool too-hot chili), Fritos or Tostitoes corn chips, chopped onion, etc.  Corn bread, with butter & honey, is also really good with this!

Advanced chili recipe
One day, we discovered that a bit of salsa in the chili was really good!  This led to experimentation and evolution into the recipe we typically use today.
To the above recipe, add the following:
1 lb mild Italian sausage
1/2 sweet onion (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup chopped sweet peppers, I like a variety of colors
1 can diced tomatoes
1 small tomato, chopped
1/2 cup salsa

Cook the Italian sausage and hamburger together; drain most of the greases out, leaving about a Tablespoon.  Add the onion & sweet peppers; saute until the onion becomes soft & begins to release its juices.  Add the can of diced tomatoes and the beans and spices from the recipe above & heat.  When it is approaching the proper temperature, add the fresh tomato and salsa.  Continue to heat and stir until its hot enough to eat.

This makes a pretty chili, with all the colors from the peppers (see the picture, above).  However, when my kids were little, they wouldn't go near something with so many "questionable" items in it!  lol!

I find that the brand of corn chips you use makes a huge difference to the end flavor of the recipe - you can use any, but it seems that a saltier chip makes a better chili.