A chili bar is my new favorite thing for a party. It's so easy to throw the ingredients together, put out some fun toppings, and everyone can dig in. I also like the flexibility of different vegetables that I can use depending on the season (shout out to farm share member Alyssa for teaching me that carrots make a great add to chili).
Prep Time: 20 Minutes | Cook Time: 40 Minutes
Ingredients
2lb ground beef
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 peppers of choice, diced (optional)
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 15-oz can pinto beans
1 15-oz can kidney beans
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp granulated sugar
3 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 cup chicken or beef broth
Directions
Heat a large pot over medium/high heat (I use my large dutch oven)
Add ground beef, onion, peppers (if using), and minced garlic. Sauté for about 7-10 minutes, or until beef is fully browned.
Next, add your pinto beans, kidney beans, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and maple syrup to the pot and stir to combine.
Add your spices, sugar and 1 cup of broth and stir to combine.
Bring chili to a boil and then reduce heat to low and let simmer for 20-25 minutes to thicken.
Serve your chili with sour cream, cheese, green onions, bacon, chips, guacamole, black olives, jalapenos, etc!