Chilly Today. Chili Tomorrow.

Chili Every Single Day of the Week/Veg or Meat?

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In the Department of Let’s Please Everyone, chili is the hands-down winner in our household. And by everyone, I mean….my spouse.

I love a bowl of chili now and then. It’s spicy. It’s filling. It’s not junk food. My dear husband seems quite happy to eat it regularly, especially when the remnants of another perfectly good meal have lost their appeal. As for me, leftovers mean I don’t have to cook, and for that, I am more grateful than picky.

Now that it’s just the two of us, you’d think making a huge vat of chili makes no sense. But you would be wrong, so wrong. That big pot of chili will be portioned into small servings and stashed in the freezer. It comes in handy when we don’t have enough leftovers for two. Someone gets to eat exactly what they want when they want it. I say, have at it. I’ll scavenge from the fridge if I’m not in the mood for chili.

There are plenty of nights when I just don’t feel like cooking. I’m happy to fill a tortilla with leftovers, make a sandwich, or just reheat yesterday’s supper. And if that doesn’t fly for both of us, there’s always a bowl of chili to defrost.

I’ve got a few ways for you to make chili, all of them in a quantity large enough to serve 8 or more: Make it for a party or enjoy some of it one night, then freeze the rest for another night or two down the road.

Here are three versions to try:

First, there is the old-fashioned meat-based chili made in a big pot on top of the stove. I’ve come to enjoy it with either ground beef or ground turkey. They’re interchangeable as far as the recipe goes, so choose whatever floats your boat. Stovetop chili gets better the longer you cook it, starting at 45 minutes if you’re in a rush, but even better if you give it an hour plus 15 to 30 minutes. You’ll need to stir it occasionally and keep your eye on it, adding water if the liquid starts to evaporate.

Second, make the same chili in an Instant Pot (aka multi-cooker) or pressure cooker. If you have a pressure cooker, you probably know the drill. I love my Instant Pot for making chili because I can turn it on and forget about it. The prep time is the same, and by the time the pot does its thing coming to temperature and then cooling down, the cooking time is slightly less, but not significantly so. The real advantage is the set it and forget it factor. No checking to make sure the liquid is evaporating too quickly or it’s burning on the bottom. The only difference in the recipe ingredient list is that you use one cup of water instead of two in the Instant Pot.

Third is the vegetarian version. I mostly make this option on top of the stove, so I have not tested it with an Instant Pot. Because vegetables are involved, I would assume you could make it quickly in an instant pot, setting the pressure cooker to about 15 minutes. But that’s guess work. I’ll get back to you if you have questions.

The Chili Powder: I like using ancho and chipotle chili powder instead of the standard chili powder that you find in most grocery stores. Ancho chiles are mild to hot and have slightly sweet overtones. Chipotle chiles are smoked jalapeños, so they are quite hot but add a really nice smoky touch to your chili. Proceed with caution.

Lately I have not seen ancho chili powder in the markets I shop in. I haven’t gotten around to ordering, but I should, because we use so much of it. Here’s the link to one I’ve liked. Curiously, one of the big markets I frequent sells whole dried ancho chiles but no powder. I recently replaced the powder using 2 dried ancho chiles. If you want to try it, here’s what you do:

How to use dried chiles to replace the ancho chili powder

1) Buy whole ancho chiles. They are dried but should still be pliable when you squeeze the bag. Brittle chiles means they are older and may have been sitting around for a while. Not a total deal breaker, but not the top choice.
2) Tear 2 ancho chiles into 1-inch pieces and discard the stem and seeds.
3) Put them in a Pyrex measuring cup or small bowl and cover them with boiling water.
4) Let them soak in the water until they soften—usually in the time it takes to chop the vegetables—10 to 20 minutes.
5) Remove the chiles from the soaking water with tongs. Place them in a blender or food processor with 1 or 2 tomatoes from the can of whole tomatoes. Puree until smooth and add to the chili in step two. You will end up coarsely chopping the rest of the can of tomatoes in a food processor or blender anyway, so no additional washing up.

Meat Chili with Beans Traditional Stove-top Method
Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours | Serves 8 to 10
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 pounds lean ground beef or dark meat ground turkey
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ancho chili powder or standard chili powder, or to taste
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder, or to taste
1 (28-ounce) can whole, peeled tomatoes
2 cups water
3 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans or black beans with their liquid
Garnishes: Sour cream, grated sharp cheddar, thinly sliced radishes, sliced scallions, chopped onions, avocado slices, shredded lettuce, chopped fresh jalapenos or fresh cilantro
METHOD
1. In a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the garlic and onions and cook, stirring often, for 6 minutes, or until the onions soften. Add the ground beef or turkey and salt. Cook, breaking the meat up with a potato masher or the edge of a spoon, for 5 minutes, or until it is no longer pink.
2. Add the ancho and chipotle powders, cumin, and oregano to the pot. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
3. In a blender or food processor, pulse the tomatoes and their juices for a few seconds to break them up. Add the tomatoes, beans and water to the pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the liquid is well flavored. Add more hot water during cooking, 1/4 cup at a time, if the mixture seems too thick. Taste and add more salt or chili powder, if you like. 
4. Set out bowls of your favorite garnishes for serving.

Instant Pot or Multi-Pot Version Method
Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: about 1 hour start to finish | Serves 8 to 10
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 pounds lean ground beef or dark meat ground turkey
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ancho chili powder or standard chili powder, or to taste
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder, or to taste
1 (28-ounce) can whole, peeled tomatoes
1 cup water
3 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans or black beans with their liquid
Garnishes: Sour cream, grated sharp cheddar, thinly sliced radishes, sliced scallions, chopped onions, avocado slices, shredded lettuce, chopped fresh jalapenos or fresh cilantro
METHOD
1. On the Instant Pot, turn on the sauté setting. Heat the oil and add the garlic and onions. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften.
2. Add the beef and salt. Cook, breaking the meat up with a potato masher or the edge of a spoon for 5 minutes, or until it is no longer pink. Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano and chipotle chili powder. Stir for one minute to bloom the spices.
3. In a blender or food processor, pulse the tomatoes and their juices for a few seconds to break them up. Add the tomatoes, beans, and 1 cup water to the pot and stir to combine.
4. Secure the lid and set the pressure release to sealing. Press the cancel button. Select the pressure cook button and set it for 20 minutes at high pressure. (It will take about 20 minutes to come to pressure.)
5. When the timer goes off, you can release the pressure by moving the pressure release setting to venting. Or you can let the pressure release naturally for 20 minutes (my preference.)

Chili: The Vegetarian Version
Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 35 minutes | Serves 8 to 10
In this version you omit the meat and add more vegetables
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 sweet orange pepper, diced
1 sweet yellow pepper, diced
1 medium zucchini
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ancho chili powder or standard chili powder, or to taste
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder, or to taste
1 (28-ounce) can whole, peeled tomatoes
2 cups water
3 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans or black beans with their liquid
Garnishes: Sour cream, grated sharp cheddar, thinly sliced radishes, sliced scallions, chopped onions, avocado slices, shredded lettuce, chopped fresh jalapenos or fresh cilantro
METHOD
1. In a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the garlic,
onions, bell peppers, zucchini, corn and salt.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes, or until the vegetables start to soften
2. Add the ancho and chipotle powders, cumin, and oregano to the pot. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
3. In a blender or food processor, pulse the tomatoes and their juices for a few seconds to break them up. Add the tomatoes, beans and water to the pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the liquid is well flavored and the vegetables are tender. Add more hot water during cooking, 1/4 cup at a time, if the mixture seems too thick. Taste and add more salt or chili powder, if you like. 
4. Set out bowls of your favorite garnishes for serving.

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Until Next Time,
XXOO
Sally