Do you have those go-to recipes in your head that you can just make with your eyes closed? You know that pinch of this and a dash of that are the perfect measurements, no need for measuring cups or recipe cards. That’s my chili recipe — honed over the years to be both classic and at the same time totally unique to me. For example, I alway do half beef, half ground turkey — you still get the flavor of the beef but it cuts down on fat; I also feel strongly that all chili should be made with tasty golden kernels of corn (fire roasted is the way to go!) and simmered for hours in a sturdy cast iron dutch oven (I love our Martha Stewart one.). And my secret ingredient — a trick my dad taught me as a kid — is to add a can of baked beans into the mixture for a little punch of sweetness to balance out the spice. A few weeks back my sister pointed out that even though I make this 2x a month all winter long, I never posted about it before on the blog. So here it is, finally written in stone for her to use (and hopefully you too!). 
- Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Yellow Onion, diced
- ½ Medium Red Onion, diced
- 3 Cloves of Garlic, minced
- 1 lb of Ground Beef
- 1 lb of Ground Turkey
- 14 oz of Crushed San Marzano Tomatoes
- 14 oz of Black Beans
- 14 oz of Red Kidney Beans
- 14 oz of Cannellini White Beans
- 2 cups of Fire Roasted Corn (try Trader Joes frozen!)
- 8 oz of Original Baked Beans
- Chili Spice Mixture (Chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, ground cumin, sea salt, and black pepper -- add about a ¼ tsp of each, and then taste to flavor -- if you like it spicier add more chili powder!)
- Tabasco Sauce
- Garnishes (pepper jack cheese, scallions, minced red onions, sour cream)
- In a 6-quart cast iron dutch oven, heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and drop in the yellow and red onions when the pan is warm.
- Sauté onions for 5 minutes, until they begin to soften. Add in garlic, combine for 1 minute.
- Push onion mixture to the edge of the pot and add in beef and turkey; cook until brown.
- When meat is browned, fold in chili spices and fully coat mixture. When fully coated add in crushed tomatoes and continue to combine.
- Pour all beans and corn into the pot and add a few dashes of Tabasco to taste, stir to combine.
- Simmer for 2-3 hours and enjoy with toppings -- Pepperjack cheese or cheddar and fresh scallions are a must!
i think i will try this recipe as it tastes very delicious and plus it is helathy asyou only need to bake it.
Ok, you have just made my day. I was just talking to my husband about wanting to make more things from scratch. This is awesome.