Sandy's Chili

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 -1 1/2 lb ground beef (or ground turkey)
• 2 (28 ounce) cans whole tomatoes
• 2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans kidney beans
• 1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
• 6 -8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 2 -3 tablespoons dried basil
• 1 -2 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 -3 shakes crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 tablespoons chili powder (or more, to taste)
• black pepper, to taste
• salt, to taste (optional, we don't use)
• 1/2 chopped green bell pepper (optional)
• 2 -3 tablespoons canola oil

Recipe

• 1 heat a large stockpot on high for about a minute, then add oil, followed by the onions, celery, green pepper (optional), and just a little of the garlic.
• 2 reduce heat to medium high and saute the veggies for a couple minutes, stirring frequently.
• 3 add the meat, breaking it up as you put it into the pan. continue to saute and stir for a couple of minutes.
• 4 sprinkle in a tbsp of the chili powder so that meat and veggies are nicely seasoned with it. keep stirring and cooking for another 3-4 minutes, or until the meat gets browned a bit.
• 5 lower the heat to medium and add the rest of the garlic, the kidney beans with the liquid in the can.
• 6 add the tomatoes and their liquid to the mixture. the tomatoes should be broken up either on a chopping board or you can crush them with your hands before putting them into the chili. you don't want whole big tomatoes, but you do want some chunks.
• 7 stir everything together. add the rest of the spices (rub the basil and oregano between your palms to release the flavor) and the chili powder and stir.
• 8 taste and add salt if needed. some canned tomatoes have enough salt that you won't need more.
• 9 lower the heat so the pot simmers and let everything cook for at least an hour. it can be cooked longer as well, we've done up to 3 hours.
• 10 stir the pot every once in a while. keep the heat fairly low because the tomatoes tend to scorch or burn at higher heats.
• 11 note: if the chili still tastes flat and adding more chili powder, basil, or oregano doesn't help, try shaking in some garlic powder or celery salt. you can also try a pinch of sugar (only a pinch), but it's not recommended unless you've oversalted.