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This post was sponsored by BUSH’S® Chili Beans as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
We’ve had some crazy weather in the Midwest the past few weeks (is winter? is it spring? no it’s definitely winter today!). One day it was so cold BTR and Jude both had school canceled. And there’s no better way to spend a freezing cold day than cooking our favorite chili recipe! Chili is a staple in our house during the winter months and I love eating it as leftovers the following week.
We’ve cooked a few different versions of our “house” chili over the years, dating all the way back to living in cold (cold, cold) Chicago, but over the last couple of years we’ve really dialed it in! We’ve found a few things we love and keep consistent, and then change up a few of the extras and toppings each time.
Some of the constants in our chili are beef stew meat, fire roasted tomatoes, using a dark beer as a base liquid. and using high-quality chili beans like BUSH’S® Chili Beans.
We used to just buy whatever beans we saw on the shelf, but we have found that to have the most consistent flavors, we rely on BUSH’S Chili Beans (just like we do for baked beans for a summer BBQ)! It really does give the chili more flavor and really matters on those days when we are making a quick batch after work. Our favorites are the kidney and pinto beans in a mild chili sauce. But they also make a medium and hot sauce variety!
Here’s our base recipe, but feel free to switch things up to fit your needs! You really can’t go wrong with chili!
Ingredients:
- 3/4 lb stew meat
- 1lb ground beef
- 12-16oz of beer (we usually use a brown ale or a stout from a local brewery)
- 1 onion
- 1-3 hot peppers to your spiciness level (can substitute cayenne pepper if want)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 cans BUSH’S Mild Pinto Chili Beans (16 oz.)
- 2 cans BUSH’S Mild Kidney Chili Beans (16 oz.)
- 2 cans fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 can of tomato paste
- 1 packet of chili seasoning (sometimes we make our own!)
And don’t forget the chili toppings! We love sour cream, shredded cheese, cilantro, onions, and crackers!
Directions:
These directions are for when we have all day to put it in the slow cooker and then we eat it that night. The only thing we really change when doing a quick stovetop batch is when the beans go in. Since they are already simmered with so much flavor we put them in the slow cooker about 1.5 hours before eating so they don’t get overcooked or mushy. If cooking on the stove top we put in right away.
1. Rinse and chop all your veggies. Chop finely: peppers (seeds removed), onion, and garlic.
2. Optional: BTR usually cuts our stew meat smaller so we get more bites out of it.
3. Sauté veggies until they become translucent and then add stew meat. Once stew meat is browned, about 5 minutes, transfer it into the slow cooker.
4. Brown ground beef and drain, then add to the slow cooker.
5. Add tomato paste, fire roasted tomatoes into the slow cooker.
6. Don’t forget the beer! This is the best part, so we usually add a can and a half of beer, but I’m pretty sure BTR does that so has an excuse to drink the other half of the beer :)
7. Set your slow cooker to low and we usually cook all day, but it can be ready in a few hours!
8. With about 1.5 to 2 hours left before eating we then add the 4 cans of BUSH’S Chili Beans. These beans don’t need to be drained or rinsed! If doing on stove top add everything from the start and simmer 60-90 minutes.
Now its time to eat! So we have so many favorite things to top off our chili with, we usually switch it up every time! What are some of your favorite things to add?
One of the other reasons we always use BUSH’S Chili Beans is they are a family-owned and operated company and have a satisfaction guarantee. Check it out here:
If you are not satisfied with the BUSH’S® Chili Beans product you purchased, you can register to receive a coupon for a free BUSH’S® Beans product up to 16 ounces. This could include BUSH’S® Baked Beans, Variety Beans, Savory Beans and more
Some restrictions may apply. Visit bushschilibeansguarantee.com for complete terms and conditions.
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