Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can tomato sauce (or you can use tomato paste and water)
• Water as desired

You can decide how thick you want your chili to be. I would add a minimum of 1 cup of water, but whatever you want is fine as long as it is liquid.

Seasonings

• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt

You can adjust seasonings to your taste. The above will give you a medium amount of heat for someone used to spicy foods. My oregano and garlic powder are usually heaping 1/2 teaspoonfuls. It’s just a matter of preference.

How to Make Chili

Before starting, I like to measure out my seasonings and put them in a small bowl. I also gather my ingredients so they are handy. These are both optional of course, but it makes cooking less stressful and more fun!

1. Brown ground beef on medium in a deep skillet or a Dutch oven. I like to add a nice pinch of sea salt to the meat as it is cooking.
2. Chop up onion and pepper, add to meat when it is almost done cooking. cook for additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
3. While the veggies are cooking in the meat, I open my cans and drain the beans. I also rinse the beans well. (draining the beans is optional)
4. Add the beans, tomatoes and tomato sauce, mix together.
5. Add seasonings and stir in.
6. Bring mixture to a slow boil.
7. Reduce heat to Low and cover
8. Cook for 20 minutes or more, turn off heat and let sit covered for 10 minutes.
9. Stir and Serve with crackers or garlic bread

Serving Suggestions

You can add condiments to your chili like sour cream or shredded cheese.