I knew we’d get a bit more snow in upstate NY than we saw in NYC, but I wasn’t prepared for this white covered winter. Snow just keeps on coming! We have about 2 1/2 feet on the ground right now, and more to come in the next few days. We’ve been hunkering down, working on renovation projects and doing a little cooking. When we realized it’s been a while since we posted a recipe, we had to post our favorite cold weather recipe: chili. This worked well for us during the snow storm because unlike most recipes, many of the ingredients are canned. We had a few cans of a particular organic brand of canned tomatoes we like and some frozen corn from our winter CSA.

This is a recipe we’ve been making for years, it’s a family favorite. To me, chili is all about the texture. Practice your chopping and dicing skills with this recipe, because it will make all the difference in the experience. I like the texture pretty smooth, but if you like a super chunky chili, you can chop the ingredients a bit larger. I would make this recipe like crazy when I was eating gluten and dairy free. You can even have it with corn chips if you are gluten free. It was a real treat!

I’ve made the spices in this recipe pretty mild, using only chili powder. You can make it super spicy if you want by adding your favorite hot sauce, or even more chili powder. If you’re concerned about it being too spicy, start with one table spoon of chili powder and then add from there, 1/2 tablespoon at a time. If you have kids and they don’t love spicy, you can even separate out a batch.

Here’s what’ll really change your life: this recipe freezes really well. Freeze it in a freezer bag, and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop like soup. One year, I made about 8 servings and we’d have it for lunch or dinner if we we’re pressed for time.

Chili Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 15.5 ounce can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 28 ounce can peeled tomatoes, rough chopped
• 2 8 ounce cans tomato sauce
• 1 6 ounce can tomato paste
• 8 ounces frozen or canned corn (if canned, rinse and drain)
• 2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Garnish

• Sour cream
• Lime zest

Instructions

1. In a large cast iron or heavy bottom pan, cook meat on medium high heat until brown, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes then drain fat, and pat with paper towel. Get all that fat off. Set meat aside in bowl.
2. Using the same pot, add onions and just enough olive oil to coat and cook until tender and transparent, about 15 minutes on medium heat. Next, add the green pepper and continue cooking until tender.
3. Keeping the heat at medium high add the rest of the ingredients, including the cooked meat and stir to incorporate. Add the chili powder gradually tasting after every tablespoon. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn down the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Garnish with sour cream and lime zest. Ideas! Serve with avocado, chips, or cornbread.