Chili is a metaphysical thing in the world of cooking.  There are major competitions all over the United States, and believe me they can get really cutthroat. People take their chili seriously! Chili is a creation that is highly personal to the person that has created the dish. Lot’s of folks can work a lifetime to perfect a chili recipe and that is no joke. Just ask anyone that has ever competed in a chili cook off. If you are a newbie to the world of chili and want to get out of “the canned stuff,” then welcome! Even if  you are an old hat at making chili, welcome! The tips herein will do no harm and only enhance your chili experience! Lets get some tips!

Tip 1. What if your chili is too thick? What kind of chili is it? White?, Red? Beef? Chicken? If your chili is too thick don’t use water to thin it out that is what everyone in the world does. Use broth instead! Water will “kill” the hard worked for flavor of your chili creation. Broth adds the liquid that you need and unlike water it also adds flavor and depth to your chili recipe!

Tip 2. What if your chili is way to thin? You could add some tomato paste to it as one way to thicken it. Try it a little bit by little bit until  you achieve the consistency that you are looking for! What if the tomato paste does not make your chili thick the way you want it to? Then the next step is to try to use something like cornstarch or corn flour commonly called masa flour! You can also try the old school use of cornmeal. I like this one myself. Cornmeal gives a good texture. Some people I know in the Southern United States say to just use good old fashioned instant mashed potatoes. Not bad! It works and adds texture as well. Then the is the no calorie way to do it by using arrow root mixed with a bit of water and then added to the chili and stirred. As you can see there are many way to  make your chili thicker. The choice is yours and you should experiment.

Tip 3. Most people that I know of that make chili at home just use plain old boring everyday Jalapeno’s. This is fine in most cases and they do bring the “heat!” But the fact of the matter is that there is a world of different chilies out there. Anaheim, Poblano, Serrano, Sante Fe Chilies, Ancho Chilies, The very popular these days Chipotle in Adobo sauce or Chipotle powder, Cayenne, Tabascos, Thai Chili, Habanera, and Scotch Bonnets! The list can go on and on from country to country. So why not try to use more than one type of chili pepper in your chili? Change the flavor, dont settle for the mundane! Have fun!

Tip 4. first thing is first! Cook the meat! Any meat that you are using should be cooked first. Brown the meat way before you have to add the liquids to the recipe. Browning the meat aids in locking in the flavor of the meat. You dont want your meat to get soggy with the liquids from the chili recipe. I prefer to sear cook my meat. That is turn the flame up high and putting the meat in the pan of my fave the cast iron skillet and so it sizzles quick and stir it around a bit and then turn the heat down. This is a classic searing technique that locks the flavor into the meat.

Tip 5. The better the meat the better the meal! It is a fact that the better the quality of any meat or main component for a meal the better the meal. Remember that is it quality over quantity! Just because you can get some meats cheap and get lot’s of it does not mean that it is quality meat and that you will get a quality meal. If you have to use a cheaper meat that is less tender then expect to cook your chili longer to soften it up and consider using a meat tenderizer on it to aid in the softening of the cheaper cuts and cooke the chili longer and you should be OK. In the long run if you can afford to get the better cuts then I always day do it!

In this video, Betty demonstrates how to make a great warm-up for wintry days, her Quick Chili. This is chili with browned ground beef, canned beans, tomatoes, and green chilies, flavored with convenience packages, so that there is no chopping—and the chili cooks in 15 minutes with almost no clean-up! Ingredients: 1 pound lean ground beef (2) 15-oz. cans kidney beans, undrained 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained 10-oz. can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained 1 ¾-oz. envelope chili seasoning mix (You may use your own blend of chili powder, cumin, and cilantro.) 1 ½ cups water 1 tablespoon instant onion soup and dip mix (You may use chopped onion and a little minced garlic.) Shredded sharp cheddar cheese for topping In a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven, brown 1 pound lean ground beef, until it is crumbly and cooked through. Drain, if needed. Add (2) 15-oz. cans undrained kidney beans, a 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes, a 10-oz. can diced tomatoes and green chiles, a 1 ¾-oz. envelope chili seasoning mix, 1 ½ cups water, and 1 tablespoon instant onion soup and dip mix. Stir mixture thoroughly. Place over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve by ladling a generous amount of chili into a bowl or mug, and top with about ¼ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese per serving. Provide saltine crackers to accompany this delicious chili. If you want a quick and easy great-tasting chili that is economical …
Video Rating: 4 / 5

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Remember the last time you had a steaming bowl of chili? It was delicious, wasn’t it?

Chili is likley a welcome treat for your family anytime. Why not serve a satisfying meal of chili to them today? To help you do this, I’ve provided you in this article with both a ‘mild’ savory chili recipe, and a ‘spicy’ HOT one, to give you two kinds of different ‘mouth watering’ tasty chili recipes, one of which is sure to please them.

Add both of this article’s taste tempting chili recipes to your recipe box, and dig them out whenenever you’re ‘stuck’ in coming up with ideas for your family meal planning.

You’ll want to give these tasty chili recipes ideas (for what I’m going to predict will be some of the best chili meals you’ve ever enjoyed) a try. They truly are delicious, and rather easy to prepare, though do require a significant amount of cooking time.

Before offering you this ‘basic’, and rather ‘mild’, chili recipe idea…

…a favorite of quite a few of my friends (within the many tasty chili recipes I’ve acquired)… you should know a couple of things.

First: This is what many would call a “Yankee” Chili recipe. It differs  from the “Texas” style more spicy, tasty chili recipes. It has beans, It has meat. It has tomatoes. If you consider yourself a “Chili Purist” and tend to thumb your nose at this milder Yankee style of savory chili, that’s ok. Then you’ll likely prefer the ‘alternate’, hot, spicy, tasty chili recpe I’ve provided for you toward the end of this article.

Second: While this is a ‘basic’ chili recipe, it is special to me because it was one of my Aunt’s favorite flavorful tasty chili recipes. People raved about her chili. Whether she made a “small” batch – enough to feed a hungry family of four – as in this recipe – or a bigger one – usually in a roaster pan – leftovers were never a problem. Of course as with any of the truly tasty chili recipes, the prepared chili is better warmed up, but with this delicious mild chili recipe there was rarely any left for her family the next day.

So what was her ‘tasty chili recipe’ secret?…

Darned if I know. When I first asked her for her ‘recipe’, she just stared at me like I was some sort of fool who just popped out from under a rock. “There’s  no ‘special’ recipe” She said, “It’s hamburger, beans, and tomatoes.”

Well, this turned out to be ‘true’. However… it DOES make a big ‘difference’, as to how they are combined and cooked. So… I’ll elaborate just a bit for you.

Here’s what you’ll need to need to get started:

1 onion (either large or medium-sized, your preference)
1 lb. of lean hamburger
1 14 1/2 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 14 1/2 oz can of diced tomatoes
3 1 lb. cans of kidney beans
2 tbs minced garlic
2 tbs mixed Italian seasonings
Some Cilantro, Chili Powder, a tad bit of Lemon Pepper, and salt to taste

Note.. About the ingredient proportions for my Aunt’s ‘Yankee’ style mild tasty chili recipes’ meal -  – this is for a hungry family of four, and is approximate. You can modify them to suit your needs, your tastes or what you’ve got on hand.

My Aunt always used stewed tomatoes. For me though (since I’m not ‘into’ huge tomato chunks), for this version of one of my tasty chili recipes (basically that of my Aunt, but with a ‘bit’ of ‘enhancement’ from me), I’ll use a can of crushed, and a can of diced. Dark or light kidney beans are fine. However, you’ll want to prepare this mild chili recipe using better quality hamburger (and avoid ending up with a pan of too much fat).

Chop the onion into fairly small chunks.

Brown the hamburger and onion. It’s best to add spices (but no salt) at this stage, and cook them into the meat. Add minced garlic – a couple of tablespoons is good. In addition to garlic, some Italian Seasoning mix, Cilantro, Chili Powder, and a tad bit of Lemon Pepper will reatly enhance the flavor in this satisfying chili recipe.

If you, and your family prefer your chili on the ‘milder’ side, avoid adding too much chili powder. Also… I’ve found, as with many tasty chili recipes, it’s better to let the individuals being served add salt and pepper to their own taste ‘at the dinner table’, rather than attempt to ‘please the majority’ during my cooking. Besides, I’ve learned, adding salt too soon during the cooking of one’s special soups, and tasty chili recipes tends to ‘harden’ meats.

Once the hamburger and onion is cooked, you can toss this into a pot or crock pot with the tomatoes and kidney beans. Heat everything on high until it’s hot, and then turn the heat down to simmer until you’re ready to dig in. And that’s it. Really!

The longer this mild chili recipe cooks the better it will taste. If you can hold off until tomorrow’ it’s even better – just let it simmer until evening, let it cool and put it into the r frigerator, and warm it anytime the following day.

If you like a thicker chili – leave the top off while simmering. For thinner chili – add some water. If you like a spicier chili, add a tablespoon of salsa to your bowl before serving. Top it off with grated cheese (Mexican blends go well with this.)

Although this is one of those tasty chili recipes which is excellent all by itself… feel free to experiment, and improve on it however you like!

Now… for those of you who prefer SPICY chili recipes…

This next one… from my unique ebook offering special soups and tasty chili recipes… (many of them prize winning chili recipes, see end of this article) is going to ‘knock your socks off’ and tantalize your taste buds!

A.J.Foyt’s 500-Mile HOT tasty Chili Recipe: Yield: 6 Servings

3 lb stewing beef, cubed
1 lb chorizo (Spanish sausage)
2 large onions, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 jalapeno peppers, peeled+diced
3 T olive oil
3 T chili powder + 1/2 t cayenne + 1 t salt
3 15 oz cans tomato sauce
1 12 oz can Mexican beer + 1 1/2 c water

Brown Meat, onions, garlic and jalapenos together in olive oil. While mixture is browning, add cayenne and chili powder. Stir often. Add tomato sauce, salt, water and beer.

Cover and cook on low heat for 30 minutes, stirring often.

Uncover and simmer for 2 hours.

Caution… you might want to only use two (or one) jalapeno peppers for your first time with this HOT, savory chili recipe! Also (in my opinion), its best to hold back on the salt until just before serving. Enjoy!

If you’d like to have MORE tasty chili recipes, plus terrific, cost-saving, hearty soups recipes, and see MORE of the stunning custom artwork you’ve enjoyed displayed in this article… you’ll want to pay a visit to this wonderfully ‘soothing’ to the eyes and brain website… http://www.soupsandchili.com.

This unusual site includes a gallery of beautiful, extremely colorful, ‘food art’ paintings with smaller images you can click to fill most of your viewing window. You might also be interested in a unique ebook, “YOU can… Serve Savory Chili and Hearty Soups to Your Family and Guests (Recipes and Tips)– Your Key to Healthy Eating. Learn how to S T R E T C H Your Family Food Budget! It will enable you to cook meals sure to satisfy your family’s food tastes, providing you with a treasure trove of healthy low cost hearty soups and tasty chili recipes to choose from.

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