Our Favorite Chili Recipe

A while back a good friend shared her chili recipe with me. Ever since then, it's been our family's favorite. Those of you that know my husband, know that he's a picky eater. There are several things that he doesn't like to eat and soup is one of them. He likes his chili to be nice and thick, definitely NOT soup-like. This recipe even gets Shawn's approval!

Here's our favorite chili recipe:

2/3 c. dry pinto beans
2/3 c. dry red beans or kidney beans
2 lbs. ground beef
1 c. onion, diced
2 tsp. garlic, minced
1/4 c. green pepper, diced
1/3 c. chili powder
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
8 oz. can tomato sauce
1-1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 c. shredded spinach

The night before, sort dry beans, place in pot, and cover with warm water. Let soak for 12-24 hours. The next day, after soaking period has lapsed, drain, rinse, place back in pot and add water to cover beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for approximately two hours or until beans are soft.

After beans are cooked, begin browning ground beef with onion and garlic. Drain if necessary. Combine all ingredients together and simmer until done.

The addition of the shredded spinach thows some extra nutrition into the dish, plus I think it makes it looks prettier with the flecks of green in there! If you like your chili to be "soupier" than we do, then you could simply add in more tomato sauce. However, Shawn loves this chili because it makes the best Frito Chili Pies. This is the way he prefers his chili: Fritos covered with chili, then topped with shredded grassfed raw cheddar cheese.



This was the perfect meal for the small-scale camping trip he had with the kids this past weekend.

This post is proud to be part of Real Food Wednesday with Kelly the Kitchen Kop
http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2010/09/real-food-wednesday-91510.html