{"id":810,"date":"2022-02-22T02:00:25","date_gmt":"2022-02-22T02:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplestartnutrition.com\/?p=810"},"modified":"2022-02-23T13:59:59","modified_gmt":"2022-02-23T13:59:59","slug":"national-chili-day-the-ultimate-guide-to-a-do-it-yourself-chili-recipe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplestartnutrition.com\/?p=810","title":{"rendered":"National Chili Day: The Ultimate Guide to a Do It Yourself Chili Recipe"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

National Chili Day: The Ultimate Guide to a Do It Yourself Chili Recipe<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Bowl\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n

\u00a0Chili: so universal and flexible.\u00a0 Everyone has their own go-to recipe.\u00a0 But what exactly defines a \u201cchili\u201d? It’s a bit of a debate.\u00a0 Most people agree it\u2019s more of a stew than a soup: stew meaning it\u2019s thicker than your typical broth or cream based soup. Though some people won\u2019t even classify it as a stew; they consider it it\u2019s own category- chili.\u00a0 The basics of a chili seem to be: meat, tomatoes, and spices.\u00a0 The exact ingredients and the measurements are up to the chef.\u00a0 There is even Texas Chili that is completely beanless, focusing on the meat.\u00a0 Others make it vegetarian.\u00a0 A little confusing, right? \u00a0<\/p>\n\n

My personal definition:\u00a0 It\u2019s a one pot, stew type food, that can be its own meal, and it has tomatoes and chili powder in it as the only 2 required ingredients.\u00a0 Ha!\u00a0 Not very specific, but that\u2019s the beauty of chili, you can make it your own!. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n

The problem with all the versatility is all the different recipe combinations.\u00a0 I\u2019m a recipe follower. I need measurements and ingredients or at least a general idea.\u00a0 I am NOT good at looking in my pantry and \u201cwhipping\u201d something up without a set of directions (I can\u2019t even begin to guess an oven temperature<\/em>).\u00a0 I\u2019m not jealous of people who can do that, not at all\u2026. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n

So, instead of having twenty different recipes for essentially the same food, I decided to see if I could create a master list of the most common ingredients found in chili and a general guideline to follow to make the chili your own.\u00a0 Like heat?\u00a0 Crank it up!\u00a0 Want more veggies?\u00a0 Pile them in. This is a completely customizable recipe for you to make your own, or make different every time.\u00a0 So let\u2019s get started.<\/p>\n\n

Step 1:\u00a0 What do you feel like making?<\/em> \u00a0<\/p>\n\n

Check the list below and figure out what you want in your chili.\u00a0 Do this before you grocery shop to ensure you have the specific items you want, or base it on the ingredients you have in the house, or even better- what you need to get rid of- like those peppers that only have a day or two left.\u00a0 Something not on the list?\u00a0 Add it anyway!\u00a0 Try to find what column it would go in so you know when to add it during the cooking process.\u00a0 A protein that needs to brown is different from a spice\u2026you catch my drift.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

\n\n\n\n\n
Protein Choose 2-3<\/td>\nAromatics Choose 2+<\/td>\nAdditional Veg Choose 2+<\/td>\nLiquid Choose 2-3<\/td>\nSpices Choose 2+<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ground beef (1#) Ground Turkey (1#) Ground chicken (1#) Beef chuck (1#) Chorizo (1#) Pork sausage (1#) Kielbasa (1) Bacon (1#)
Vegetarian: Lentils (1 cup) Veggie Crumbles (1#)
Beans: (1 can) Kidney\u00a0 Black Cannelli\u00a0 Pinto\u00a0<\/td>\n		Onion Garlic\u00a0 Jalapeno Peppers\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Red \u00a0 \u00a0 Green \u00a0 \u00a0 Yellow \u00a0 \u00a0 Orange Celery<\/td>\nCorn\u00a0 Potato Sweet potato Mushrooms Carrots Zucchini Parsnips<\/td>\nWater (1-3 cups) Broth (1-3 cups) Beer 0.5-1 cup) Red wine vinegar (splash) Tomato juice (1-2 cups) Crushed tomatoes (1 28oz can) Diced tomatoes (1 28oz can) Red wine (0.5-1cup) Coffee (0.5-1 cup)<\/td>\nBrown sugar White sugar Tomato paste Cumin\u00a0 Chili powder\u00a0 Salt\u00a0 Pepper Garlic Powder Cayenne\u00a0 Smoked paprika Cinnamon Cocoa powder Oregano<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n\n

#= pound or 16 ounces<\/p>\n\n

Step 2:\u00a0 I have my ingredients, now what?<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Prep the veggies if they need to be cut up, rinse the beans, gather the spices, etc.\u00a0 It\u2019s quicker, and easier to have all the ingredients ready to go, before you start cooking.\u00a0 I\u2019ve done it haphazardly and prepped as I went, it\u2019s a little frantic, but it got the job done. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n

Step 3:\u00a0 Time to cook the chili<\/em><\/p>\n\n

    \n
  1. Add meat to the pot and cook until brown (a dutch oven is a popular choice, but any large pot will do).\u00a0 Remove meat from the pot and drain fat, set aside.<\/li>\n
  2. Add about 2 tablespoons of oil to the pot over medium heat and add the aromatics of your choice (column 2) saute until soft, about 5 minutes.\u00a0 Add meat back to the pot.<\/li>\n
  3. Add spices and stir for 30 seconds to disperse (you can add more later if you need to adjust)<\/li>\n
  4. Add additional vegetables here<\/li>\n
  5. Add Liquid: ingredients in pot should be submerged but not swimming<\/li>\n
  6. **Add lentils and beans now if desired<\/li>\n
  7. Put the lid on, reduce to low and let simmer for at least a \u00bd hour to soften the veggies, but up to 2 hours.\u00a0 Longer than an hour or so, just check on it periodically to make sure it isn\u2019t drying out.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n

    Helpful hint for the spices:<\/em>\u00a0 The ones listed below are typical chili spices and herbs, that\u2019s not to say you HAVE to add them, just a jumping off point if you\u2019re not sure what you want to use.\u00a0 You can also adjust the amounts to dial up or back a certain flavor.<\/p>\n\n