Aunt Lynn's Chili

Aunt Lynn’s Chili

This chili con carne is great. Take your time cooking it. It keeps really well; most agree that it’s better as leftovers the next day. This is also known as “Bachelor Bean Chili” from Hartsville’s 2012 Chili Cook-Off. Makes 6-8 servings, I think—about a crock-pot full.

Recipe courtesy: Lynn Kaskin, Aug 13, 2003.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef – browned
• 1 med-large Vidalia onion, diced
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ bell pepper, diced
• 2 14 oz cans petite diced tomatoes
  • Or 1 one can diced and 1 can crushed for a “saucier” chili
• 2 14 oz cans Bush’s chili pinto hot beans
• 2 14 oz cans other beans: kidney, black, pinto, etc.
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• ~1 tsp salt
• ~½ tsp black pepper

Optional additions

• ~2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 1-2 bay leaves
• Few dashes hot sauce
• Few shakes cumin or curry powder
• Few shakes cayenne pepper
• Few shakes red pepper flake
• Can of hominy
• Feb 2018 Update: add a few diced chiles toreados to float your boat

Preparation

Brown the meat in a large pot with a little salt and pepper. Cook the onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Add the other canned ingredients, spices, and seasoning to the meat and aromatics. Simmer for at least 30 minutes, but up to a few hours. If using cilantro or other fresh herbs, add them about a half hour before serving.