Hi there you all– I made a BIG pot of this satisfying stuff last week and ate hot spicy leftovers for lunch all week. Delish. The flavor is rich and deep thanks to a secret ingredient –you’ll never guess what it is, so I’ll tell you!– unsweetened cocoa powder– just a bit! So I do hope you’ll try this one. I think you’d honestly just love it.
CHUNKY CHILI AND BEANS
8 slices of bacon (that’s always a good start)
3 pound chuck roast, chopped to small 1/2″ bits*
2 large onions, chopped fine
2 red bell peppers, chopped as well
8 cloves of garlic
2 tab. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tab. cumin
4 14 oz. cans petit cut tomatoes
2 chipotle chilies, seeds removed and chopped fine
2 30 oz. cans chili beans**
assorted toppings– grated cheddar or asiago, chopped green onions, sour cream, tortilla chips, chopped red onion, avocado
Cut the bacon to small bit and cook it in the bottom of your soup pot. When it’s nice a crispy, take it out, but leave the bacon fat in the pan. Then salt and pepper the bits of chuck roast and brown them well in the bacon fat, one half of the meat at a time so they aren’t too crowded in the pot. Set the meat aside and the drop the chopped onions into the pot. Let them cook til they soften up and then add in the red pepper bits. Cook about 3 minutes more. then add the garlic, cocoa and cumin and cook another minute to meld the flavors. Next pour in the tomatoes, juice and all, and also the chipotle chilies. Bring it to a low simmer and let it cook 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the meat is tender. Then drop in the chili beans, sauce and all and let it cook another 15 minutes. Serve it up piping hot with your favorite toppings and a big slab of cornbread. Real February winter day food.
*The recipe I worked from said to cut the meat into 1 1/2″ cubes– so really make them as big as you like.
**And the original recipe added half this many beans, but Larry likes a lot of beans. I think it would be just fine either way…
Also–this recipe makes a big pot full, 12 to 14 bowlfuls.
This looks delicious – love the chuck roast idea (I usually just use hamburger) and find your cocoa powder intriguing, am definitely trying this now – so I will have all week – Yum!
wow!!! this just looks sooooo delicious….love it
Wow, this looks & sounds like a really hearty chili. The chocolate in it reminds me of the Mexican dish called “Mole” (pronounced mo-lay). It’s made with chicken. I’ve only had it once on one of our mission trips to Mexico.
Hi Daisy and Claire– yep the chocolate makes it taste richer, deeper– but the chili doesn’t taste chocolatey. We just finished up the leftovers last night. pretty good!
Hi Rhonda! I’m making the chili right now and can hardly wait. The cocoa powder gave it such a rich color. Question: did you use the bacon as one of your toppings or mix it in with the chuck to simmer? Look forward to your blog daily!
Terri
Hi Teri– I just mixed the bacon into the chili just before we ate it. Sorry I left that out! Hope you like it! (fun to hear someone actually made one of the recipes!)