Okay. First I must apologize. Again I have been M.I.A. for far too long. I could give you my list of excuses...busy at work, being without my camera, a little detour to Puerta Vallarta...but really...no one likes excuses. So here it is...my world famous chili! Okay...maybe not the world, but maybe Southern Ontario...or at least the Niagara Region...okay, maybe just at my house...but one day...
I know this recipe seems like an odd one to share considering it's spring and chili is generally more of a winter's night kind of meal, but for those of you living in Southern Ontario, or Montreal, or Halifax or even Trenton, Michigan...we've been teased with some warm days, but the 5 day forecast is looking cold and rainy! My solution...stay in your PJ's all day today, tune in to the "W" network and watch a cheesy romantic comedy from the 80's, and make a big pot of chili. Just a suggestion :).
This recipe is of course a spin off of another recipe I found...an award winning recipe at that. Stratford, Ontario hosts a yearly "Heartburn Day" festival where people gather to share their favourite recipe for chili, and this was one of the winners! This festival MUST be Stratford's true claim to fame...not this one hit wonder Justin Bieber :).
People's Choice Chili
(Serves 4-6)
- (7) slices of bacon
- (1) lb of lean ground beef
- (1) onion, chopped
- (1) clove of garlic, minced
- (2) tbsp of brown sugar, packed
- (1) can (19oz) diced tomatoes
- (1) can (19oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- (1) can (14oz) pork and beans in molasses
- (1/3) cup of vinegar
- (1) tsp dry mustard
- (3) tbsp chili powder
- (1) tsp Worcestershire sauce
- (1/2) tsp salt
- (1/4) tsp pepper
- hot pepper sauce (however much you like)
Cook bacon over medium heat until crisp and then drain on paper towels. Crumble and set aside.
Drain fat from pan if you wish and increase heat to medium-high. Add the ground beef to the pan, breaking it up with a spoon. Add the chopped onions to the pan and continue cooking for 10 minutes or until no longer pink. The key is to have a handsome guy like this to help break apart the ground beef :).
There are two ways to proceed from here. You can either choose to bake the chili or put it in the crockpot. If you're hoping to eat the chili right away, baking it will be much quicker, but if you're making it ahead of time, letting it simmer all day is good option.
Add all the remaining ingredients to either an oven-proof casserole dish or your crockpot, including the ground beef mixture and crumbled bacon. Stir until combined.
If you're baking the chili, cover and bake at 300 degrees F for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid after 2 hours and bake for an additional hour, allowing the chili to thicken. If you've chosen to cook the chili in the crock pot, set to medium heat and allow to simmer for 4-6 hours, again stirring occasionally. Serve and enjoy!
