Recipe: Award-Winning Chili

With cooler weather finally making an appearance, we’re ready for all the soups, stews, and chilis! Lucky for us, Bearded Chef Guy is back “In the Kitchen” with his tried-and-true, award-winning chili recipe.

Fall is fast approaching, and this secret chili recipe is one that’s almost too good to share. It has won me first place in chili cook-offs four times!! If your crowd likes chili, this one is sure to be a hit, and—even better—it’s not complicated. Let me know what you think!

BEARDED CHEF CHILI

INGREDIENTS
2 lbs. ground chuck
1 lb. ground Italian sausage
(3) 15-ounce cans chili beans 
(2) 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes (with the juice)
6-ounce can tomato paste
oil or beef tallow
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 poblano pepper, chopped
4 cubes beef bouillon
½ can of beer for the chili (and the other half for the cook)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 teaspoons Meat Church chili seasoning

PREPARATION
Brown all meat in a pot or dutch oven. Remove once cooked fully and drain the grease from the pot. Place the chopped veggies in the pot with some oil, or, if you have it, smoked beef tallow. That will add some extra flavor to the chili. Once veggies are softened, add the meat back to the pot along with the other ingredients and stir well. 

You can place this in a crock pot to cook all day, leave on the stove on low, or place in a smoker around 225 degrees for two hours. Once the chili has simmered for at least two hours, you can serve several different ways: chili and cornbread, chili and rice, or keep it classic with some Fritos! I’ve even branched out and tried it with Flaming Hot Cheetos—hey, don’t knock it until you try it!

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