Not My Mama’s Chilli… Oh Wait…
Well, I’m back! After a month long, last minute break, it’s nice to be sitting down and writing again. One month was just way to long to say the least. I missed writing and photographing, and really just being here. I love my kids, Clint, the dog and all that I do around here, but blogging is my little piece of me, and I don’t want to forget it.
I feel like 2016 is going to be a good year – actually I say that every year in January. Always good to start the year off on a positive foot right?! To help kick off the year, I am actually going to ‘review’ (well not so much review as share) one of my best childhood memories from my mom. The comfort of mom’s crock pot chilli. I will warn you know, there are a few stove top preparations that are required but trust me… they make such a difference and it’s worth every last minute.
Growing up our local fair would happen the last weekend of September or the first weekend of October. Aside from this year, it was the signal Fall was here and everyone would be in a puffy vest, coats, and sometime even mittens! Each Sunday after the weekend fair would end, neighbours would stop in at our place and my mom would have a large crock pot of this just waiting for us. She would serve with a basic garden salad, sour cream, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, and make the tortilla bowls to serve it in (talk about easy clean up!). Every time I make this chilli, I think about those times and how much fun it was. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did… and still do!
- 1 medium onion
- 1/4 cup chilli powder (yes 1/4 cup – you read that right!)
- 2 tbsp of vegetable oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 3 cans of dark kidney beans, rinsed
- one 8 oz can of tomato sauce
- one 28 oz can of whole tomatoes
- 1 package of beef bovril
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- Chop onions finely. In saute pan add oil and chopped onions.
- Add chilli powder and saute until soft and fragrant. Remove to plate. Your onions will look a reddish/brown colour and be somewhat ‘thick and chunky’. That is exactly what you want.
- In same pan (do not wipe any of the onion or seasoning flavour bits) add ground beef and brown. Drain and add to crock pot.
- To your crock pot add kidney beans, tomato sauce, tomatoes, bovril, cumin, salt and pepper. Stir together.
- Add over the top the onions. Spread in a out all across the top. Do not mix in (this is the secret).
- Put lid on and cook in slow for 8-10 hrs on low.
- After time is up mix in the onions well into the mixture.
- Serve with whatever condiments you like. I serve with side bowls of cheddar cheese, hot sauce (since I like a kick), cilantro, and sour cream.
And there we have it! And this makes ALOT. It is perfect for feeding large crowds or you can simply (as I do), freeze into smaller portions for lunches or quick dinners later on. I try and send my kids to school with hot lunches at least twice a week (in the winter), so when I do make this, I always take 2 kid-sized lunch portions out and freeze it labelled “Kids Chilli Lunch”. The night before I will take it out of the freezer to defrost in the fridge, and the morning of, I heat up on the stove top for a hearty meal that will keep their bellies warm and satisfied for a full day of learning (and playing) at school!
Thank you so much for coming by! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas Break with your families. Lots of exciting things are coming this month here on Fuchsia Freezer, including desserts, a few DIY projects, organizing a little, and none other then January’s Cook Once, Eat Thrice Series! Do you have any secret tricks for chilli recipes that you use? I would love to hear about them! And don’t forget to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest for all the latest!
Cheers! xo
I love simple nourishing chili recipes like this one – they’re just so darn comforting. And I agree – 2016 is going to be awesome!
I agree, sometimes a classic comfort dish is exactly that for a reason!
This looks wonderful, and how great that you’ve recreated your mom’s chili! Happy 2016!
Thanks so much Patricia! Happy 2016 to you as well!
I have never heard of Bovril! What a great flavor punch to add to a meaty chili like this. Now I’ll have to keep an eye out for it just to give it a try!
It’s in the spice aisle. It comes in a box of 8 or 10 by “XOXO”. It really makes a huge difference in flavour to pretty much any beef dish.
This looks like my kind of chili, I love the onions and sour cream on top too. Try it with spaghetti noodles. The cheese melts into the noodles and it is so good. I think that’s Cincinnati style. Thanks for linking up to Merry Monday! Yummed & sharing on our MM Pinterest Board! Have a great week!
Kim
Thank so much Kim! I will defiantly have to give it a shot! Sounds delicious!
I love, love, love chili in the winter months. This recipe looks amazing!