The Best Chili Ever

It has been a while since I posted a recipe but as today is National Chili Day, I thought it would be a great occasion to share our family’s favorite chili recipe which we have enjoyed many times during this colder than usual winter. It is a mild recipe that is packed with great nutrition that will be sure to please your kids, especially if they enjoy Mexican food… as this recipe was born from leftover taco meat.

My kids love corn and so I have made it a habit to add corn to their ground taco meat. We usually buy ground beef in 3 pound packages and I will usually cook just a half of a package with taco seasoning and save the other half for spaghetti or chili. But cooking in a house with four active kids can create some mental lapses, so I found myself seasoning three pounds of taco meat. Sometimes the best foods are made when your plans are foiled and you have to improvise. That is how I came to this wonderful and delicious recipe that has become our family’s favorite chili!

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lb ground beef
• 12 oz frozen corn
• 1/2 cup McCormick taco seasoning (we use this so much that we buy the 24 oz bottle from Costco)
• 1 1/4 cup water
• 20 oz package dried beans (15 bean soup mix)
• 6 carrots (peeled and diced small)
• 1 onion (diced)
• 32 oz beef broth
• 1 clove of garlic (I just drop the whole clove in without mincing)
• 1/4 cup McCormick chili powder (we also get the 20 oz bottle from Costco)
• 2 Tbsp yellow corn meal (this helps to thicken the chili up and also compliments the corn taste)
• 8 oz tomato paste
• salt and pepper and more chili powder to taste

Directions:

• Brown ground beef with corn and then add taco seasoning mixed with 1 and 1/4 cup water.
• Rinse beans (I don’t bother to soak them).
• Place everything (except the last three ingredients) in a 6 quart slow cooker and fill to the top with water. 
• Cook on high 6 hours or on low for 10 hours.
• In the last half hour of cooking, take out the garlic clove, add the last three ingredients, taste, and add more salt or pepper as needed. You will need to add more chili powder if you like more of a kick to your chili. I make a very mild but tasty chili that my kids love and they unfortunately won’t eat spicy.
• Serve with cornbread if desired. Other toppings we enjoy with this include shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, cilantro, avocado, chopped sweet onions, and lime flavored tortilla chips. Happy National Chili Day!