Vi's Best Chili

     Fall is the perfect time for some chili and cornbread!  This chili recipe comes from my friend Vi; she brought this to a campus Bible study one time, and it was so incredible, I asked for her recipe.  This is one of the yummiest bowl of chili I've ever eaten !!

   And that's saying a lot because I've been eating chili a long time.  I grew up with my father's own brand, with more tomato sauce than this thick Texas kind.  

     If you don't like as much chili powder and cumin that's called for in this recipe, you can always reduce that.  At the bottom of this recipe is a link for Beth's Cornbread, this recipe is from one of my school cookbooks, and Beth  one of the mom was from Georgia, so yes, its a good one--with green chilies and cheese! 

 

Vi's Best Chili 

 1. Chop Vegetables: 

(1)  Chop up 2 onions and put in a bowl.
(2) Chop up 1 red pepper (I didn't have one here so I  used green) and put in a separate bowl. 
(3)  Mince up 6 cloves of garlic and put in a pinch bowl for later. 

2.  Measure out spices:  Put ¼ cup chili power (Yes, that much; it’s not a typo!), 1 T cumin, ½ tsp. cayenne pepper, and ½ tsp. salt in a small bowl.

3.  Cook veggies:

(1) Take out a large Dutch oven (or a large soup pot), and put in 2 T oil and the vegetables and spices.  Cook until the vegetables are soft about 7 minutes. 

(2)  Sir in the garlic and cook for 15 seconds.

 

4.  Add meat, beans, & sauce:  
(1)   Add 1 pound of ground beef and cook about 8 minutes unto browned. 
(2)  Stir in two 15 oz cans of kidney beans, two 15 oz cans each of diced tomatoes and  tomato sauce.
(3)  Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 45 minutes.

(You can see in this picture, I forgot to add the spices at the right time--better late than never!)
(4)  Optional: Add 1 cup frozen corn.

5.  Simmering the chili properly: Remove the lid and continue to simmer about 45 minutes. 

6. Condiments:   Prepare a platter of diced avocado, green onions, chopped red onion, cilantro, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese.

Here's a link to Beth's Cornbread.

 

List of My Favorite Soups, Chili & Stew Recipes: 

Beef 

Grandma's Favorite Beef Stew  (My mother-in-law's delicious recipe!)

Just Like Home Ukrainian Borscht   (A Polish student  said this tasted like his mom's!)
Mouth Watering Italian  Sausage Soup   (This is my friend Debbie's recipe)

Poultry

This is the Best Gluten Free Minestrone Soup!   (A recipe my son modified)

Mexican Fiesta Chicken Soup   (A recipe I got years ago from a Mexican cookbook)
My Thanksgiving Turkey Soup  (My very own special concoction!)
Gary's Incredible Gluten Free Arkansas Gumbo  (Given to me by a Bible study friend from Arkansas)
Jeannie's French Market Soup  (A friend from when my kids were little)
Southwest Turkey Soup  (From my Syre School cookbook)

Fish
Northwest Salmon Chowder  (From my Heritage School cookbook)
Almost Like Ivar's Clam Chowder (From my Come & Dine Cookbook)

Bean & Legumes
Vi's Best Chili  (A  Bible study friend's great recipe)
Bethany's Crowd Pleasing Tortilla Soup  (One of my daughter's friends special soup)
Country Style Lentil Soup   (From my Heritage School cookbook)
Kathy's Texas Chili & Chips (From my Come & Dine cookbook)
Spicy Cuban Black Bean Soup (From a store recipe card)
Marilyn's Make It From Scratch Chili  (From my mother-in-law)
Lisa's Red Lentil Soup - From my friend Lisa

Vegetable

Downright Delicious Potato & Kale Soup  (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)
A Great Fall Soup - Make it From Scratch Corn Potato Chowder  (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
French Pumpkin Soup  (From my Heritage School Cookbook)

Asian

Chinese Chicken Soups  - Bok choy chicken, chicken & spinach, and chicken & cabbage (Modified from Internet search by our Chinese students)

Make Your Own Gluten Free Chicken Pho!  (Modified from a newspaper article)

Gluten Free Chinese Hot Pot  (Modified by a Chinese student)

Chinese Egg Drop Soup  &  Chinese Egg & Tomato Soup  (Modified  from a student's recipe)

Vegetarian & Gluten Free Tom Yum Soup (A delicious Thai soup) 
Deluxe Miso Soup (Kenchinjiru)   (Adapted from Internet search)
A Thai Mom Teaches Me How to Make Tom Yum Kung  (A student's mom's recipe)
A Vietnamese Cooking Lesson - Lien's Vietnamese Sweet & Sour Soup  (An International student's aunt's recipe)
Cooking Beef Pho for Vietnamese Students  (Modified Recipe)
Asian Curried Chicken Soup  (From my Come & Dine church cookbook)
Rose's Very Own Recipe for Chinese Beef Bone Soup  (from Rose my friend from Taipei)