Chili With a Kick!
1 Tbs olive oil
2 lbs Italian sausage or chorizo (remove the casings) (Normally, I would wait for a sale)
2 large onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped or crushed
1 Tbs finely chopped shallots (This is not something I normally stock so it was fun to try something new)
2 celery stalks, finely diced
3 15- to 16-oz cans of kidney or black beans, drained, liquid reserved (or soak your own - it takes some time and planning ahead, but is cheaper and has less sodium)
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 pkg chili seasoning mix (or make your own mix of chili seasoning)
-Heat Olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, stirring to crumble into pieces, for 6 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove sausage and set aside. Drain off any fat.
-Add onions, garlic, shallots, and celery to the pan. Sauté until onions and celery are soft. You can add a little water to prevent sticking.
-Transfer the mixture to a large pot and add beans, tomatoes and sausage.
-Add the chili seasoning according to package directions and mix well.
-Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, then lower heat and simmer for 1 hr, stirring occasionally. Small amounts of the reserved canned bean liquid can be added at any point to thin the chili.
As it cooked I thought it needed a little more spice so I added some crushed red pepper flakes. Looking back now, and learning what I have about chili, I think I would have cut some of the acidity by adding a little sugar. I thought it needed a little sweet but Dan said it was fine the way it was.
Enjoy on a cool autumn day! :O)
1 comment:
We love chili cook offs! Jay has one at work every year, and he makes his famous pork green chili, that I think he learned to make from his Dad. Delicious! He makes a pretty good regular chili, too. We've never put celery in it before... perhaps will give it a go next time!
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