What's your best chili recipe?

Question

I love my mom's homemade chili, but do any of you have some special ingredients you add?

Answer 1

its the technique, "blooming" the spices first, like with indian cooking. HAVE FUN!!ENJOY!

check out cooksillustrated.com

Blooming
To intensify the flavor of commercially ground spices,
cook them for a minute or two in a little butter or
oil—before any liquid is added to the recipe. (If the
recipe calls for sautéing onions or other aromatics,
add the spices to the skillet when the vegetables are
nearly cooked.) This step is particularly important
with spice mixtures, such as chili powder and curry
powder, where it’s crucial to develop their complex
flavors. (Whole spices can also be bloomed in oil or
butter. This is a common technique used at the start
of many Indian recipes. The spices should be discarded
before the dish is served.)



Chili Con Carne

The Problem: One of the biggest challenges we faced when we decided to try and come up with the "best" recipe for chili was to narrow the competition. There are so many different kinds of chili (Texas, New Mexico, Cincinnati, to name a few) that we knew we had to decide on a particular style and go from there.

The Goal: Our choice was Texas chili, a beanless dish that goes heavy on the meat (usually beef) and favors the use of ancho chiles, which have a deep, sweet, raisiny flavor. Once we knew (sort of) what we were after, we could concentrate on making a great bowl of Texas-style chili.

The Solution: While ancho chile powder will do, we got the best chile flavor by toasting and grinding fresh chiles. Flavor is also improved by adding bacon, which lends the dish sweetness and smokiness. Thickening helps, too, making for a smoother, softer, and more appealing sauce. (This can be accomplished with cornstarch, but masa harina--a type of corn flour made from sun- or fire-dried corn kernels--is preferred; unlike the cornstarch, it actually adds flavor while it thickens.)

Answer 2

i make chicken chilli its great.
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 tablespoons butter
2 pounds all-white meat ground chicken breast
1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, finely chopped
5 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon smoked paprika (you can substitute with chipotles or chipotle chili powder)
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chicken stock
1/4-1/2 cup hot sauce, depending on how hot you like it
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce (if you have a big can of tomatoes, don't go to the store to get the sauce, it's fine. Just use what you have)
1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 7-ounce bag yellow corn chips
1 7-ounce bag blue corn chips
3/4 pound blue cheese, crumbled, recommended type Maytag Blue
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped (a couple of handfuls)
preparationPreheat oven to 375°F or broiler to medium

Place a large pot over medium-high heat, add 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon, and the butter. Once the butter has melted and the pot is hot, add the ground chicken. Brown it, using the back of a wooden spoon to break it up in to small pieces, about 5-6 minutes. Add the carrot, onion, celery, garlic, paprika, bay leaf and some salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 3-4 minutes. Add the chicken stock and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the hot sauce, tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes, and bring up to a bubble. Simmer for 8-10 minutes to let the flavors come together.

While the chili is simmering, spread the yellow and blue corn chips out on a cookie sheet. Top with the crumbled blue cheese and transfer to the oven to melt the cheese, about 4-5 minutes. If using the broiler, 2-3 minutes should do the trick. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the chopped parsley.

Top each serving of buffalo chicken chili with a few blue cheese-topped corn chips.

Yields 4 servings

Answer 3

Here is what I always make.

Ingredients:
2 lbs. Ground Chuck
Lawry's seasoning salt to taste
minced garlic
1/2 Red Bell Pepper
1/2 Onion
1 Whole Tomato
1 Can Of Corn
2 Cans of Chili Beans
1 Can of Kidney Beans (Light)
1 Large Can of Stewed Tomatoes (Or 2 Small)
4 Bouillon Beef Cubes
2 Tbsp of Chili Powder
2 Tbsp of Basil
1 Tbsp of cumin
1 tsp of Red Pepper
1/8 tsp of Cloves


Instructions:
1) Cook meat add Lawry's seasoning salt with minced garlic
2) Towards end of meat cooking, add diced red pepper, onions, & tomato
3) add Cans
4) add spices then beef cubes
5) cook on low for 1 1/2 Hours

I sometimes add fresh or dry cilantro to this and a jar of mushrooms. I like my chili with cooked elbow noodles and shredded sharp cheese on top.

Answer 4

Ingredients:
*5 lbs Beef Chuck for Chili
• 2 medium purple onions
• 3 teaspoons Ground Cumin
• 5-8 heaping tablespoons Chili Powder
• 3 cloves of garlic, pressed
• 5-15 Ancho Chili pods
• 1 teaspoon Oregano in 1 cup of water ("tea")
• Black pepper

1. Remove stems and seeds from chili pods. (To accomodate my kids I stopped at 5 chili pods. For hotter chili, add more peppers and/or more chili powder.)

2. Place chili pods in saucepan, cover with water, and simmer for about 30 minutes.

3. Mash chili pods through a sieve to remove membrane or scrape the pulp from the skins with a spoon. Make a paste of the pulp. DO NOT THROW OUT THE WATER. Hold for later.

4. Chop onions. I used purple onions because I already had them on hand, but use your favorite variety. (Note: Some purists oppose the use of onions in "real Texas chili.")
Make a "tea" of the oregano leaves by brewing in 1 cup of water. Set aside. (Other recipes use beer instead of water.)

5. Brown meat 1 pound at a time, seasoning with black pepper. Brown onions along with the meat. Use slotted spoon to remove meat and onions to your chili cooking pot as it browns.

6. To your browned meat and onions add the cumin, chili powder, and 3 cloves of pressed garlic. (Don't have a handy-dandy garlic press? Crush your garlic cloves with the flat side of a butcher's knife then chop the crushed garlic very fine. )

7. Cook mixture for a full 10 minutes, adding a small amount of the reserved chili pepper water. Stir constantly so it doesn't burn or stick. This step cooks the spices into the meat.
Stir in the chili paste and about half of the Oregano "tea" and cook over low heat for about 1.5 hours. Add the remaining Oregano "tea" and pepper water while the chili simmers, stirring occasionally.

As soon as it's hot enough, you can serve and eat this. Takes about 15 minutes, a little less or more depending on your stove. Cornbread's a great side with this one, but tortilla chips (or Fritos, if you like a bit of Santa Fe flair) work well.

Answer 5

I've probably given this recipe out 100 times by now... try it and you will love it!!!

12 ounces uncooked egg noodles
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onions
3 cans (10.5-ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup
1 (4-ounce) can chopped pimentos
2 small cans mild green chili peppers, chopped (Old El Paso brand works)
4 cups cooked chicken, chopped up into small pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
10 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I use more)
Preheat oven to 350*F (175*C).
Cook noodles as directed on package, drain.
In a large skillet, cook and stir onion in butter until tender, stir in soup, pimento and chili pepper.
In greased 4 quart casserole, layer half the noodles and half the chicken, season with salt and pepper. Top with half the soup mixture and half the cheese, repeat layers.
Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until cheese is browned on top and it is bubbling.
Makes 8 to 10 servings

Answer 6

White Chili

1 lb large white beans, soaked overnight in water, drained
6 cups chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium onions, chopped (divided)
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 4-ounce cans chopped green chilies
2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
4 cups diced cooked chicken
3 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, chopped (optional)

Combine beans, chicken broth, garlic and half the onions in a large soup pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until beans are very soft, 3 hours or more. Add additional water (or watered-down broth), if necessary.

In a skillet, sauté remaining onions in oil until tender. Add chilies and seasonings and mix thoroughly. Add to bean mixture. Add chicken and continue to simmer 1 hour. Check seasoning, add jalapeno or serrano to level of desired hotness.

Serve topped with grated cheese. Garnish with cilantro, chopped fresh tomato, salsa, chopped scallions, and/or guacamole. Serve with fresh warmed flour tortillas or tortilla chips.

Answer 7

Mad Hatter Chili

2 pounds chuck roast (½" - ¾" cubes)
1 ½ pounds course ground chuck
6 slices thick-cut smoked bacon (coarsely chopped)
2 tablespoons cooking oil (optional)
2 large white onions (coarsely chopped)
2 cloves garlic (pressed or finely chopped)
4 large stalks celery (coarsely chopped)
5 dried habañero peppers
4 dried ancho peppers
2 cups water
6 fresh hot peppers (mixed variety, include 2 habañeros – de-seeded and coarsely chopped)
1 14oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 14oz. can petite diced tomatoes (drained)
2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon oregano
½ teaspoon salt

Directions
Boil water. Place dried peppers in a bowl, add boiling water, and cover. Let sit about 10 minutes. Remove and de-seed peppers. Strain water to remove seeds.
Place water and seeded dried peppers in a pot over medium high heat, cook until half of the water is reduced, about 30 minutes.
Place fresh peppers in food processor along with reduced dried pepper mixture and pulse to make a sauce with a consistency a bit like ketchup. Add additional water if needed. This will result in about 2 cups of “chili sauce.”
Brown bacon, onions and garlic in large stew pot over high heat. Add cooking oil if needed. Once bacon is browned and onions “wet” add chuck roast and ground chuck and cook until browned, stirring occasionally. Drain.
Add chili sauce and celery to meat mixture. Stir well. Cook over medium-low heat for 1 hour.
Add crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, cumin, oregano and salt. Cook over medium-low heat for an additional 1 hour. Be careful not to cook off all the liquid.
Serve with your favorite toppings. Don’t forget the beer.

Answer 8

Hamburgers?

Answer 9

Chili in a can, with some cheese wiz... mmmmmm

Answer 10

ummmmm the canned stuff i dont really have time for that so it works pretty good