This winter, my go-to recipe for a gathering of friends or a church supper has been a huge pot of chili. The meat is optional, so it has been helpful for feeding our vegetarian friends, as well as keeping it more frugal. We like it served with a gluten-free cornbread, and topped with grated cheese, sour cream or yogurt, and green onions.
You could use canned beans, but I always used dried beans. (I presoak them overnight, and cook them up the next day.)
Chili for a Crowd
2 lbs. dry kidney Beans (about 4 cups dry beans or 10 cups cooked beans)
2 lbs. Ground Beef, cooked (optional)
2 Tbl. Oil for sauteing (such as coconut oil)
1 Gallon + 1 Quart of Tomato Sauce (or a combination of canned diced tomatoes and sauce/juice)*
1 Sweet Onion, chopped
4 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Cup Sucanat or Dark Brown Sugar (more/less to taste)
2 1/2 tsp. Cumin
2 1/2 Tbl. dried Oregano
1 Tbl. dried Basil
1/4 Cup Mexican Seasoning (or more, if you like it spicier; we do!)
2 Tbl. Sea Salt (or to taste)
2 tsp. Pepper (or to taste)
Precook kidney beans and drain. In a very large stockpot, cook meat (if using); otherwise just saute the onion and garlic in the oil. Pour in the tomato sauce/juice, and stir in the cooked beans. Mix in the remaining seasonings and sugar.
Let simmer for a least a couple hours. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. If the chili seems to need more liquid, add a bit of water or broth during the cooking time. Serves about 30.
If you have a large slow cooker (or two) available, this is a wonderful recipe to add in the morning, and serve up at dinner time!
*In the summer, when I have a bunch of garden tomatoes or find a good deal on a box of tomatoes at the market, I like to puree a few pounds of tomatoes in my blender for fresh sauce, and add some extra water or broth. Otherwise, home-canned or glass-jarred tomatoes are healthier options than cans. Choose organic when possible.
Optional Nutritional Tip: Remember my suggestion for mixing in some blended-up, nutrient-dense liver/organ meats? You’ll never notice it in this recipe!
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Thanks for this great recipe! Wouldn’t it be good to can as well, once it’s cooked? We’re a family of 8, so this could last us three or four meals.
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KimH Reply:
January 18th, 2012 at 7:37 am
I agree Gina, that would be a great recipe to can. Thats my latest passion.. canning soups & fast fixins for meals.
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Wow.. now that is a pot of chili! My S/O makes a giant pot of chili every time he makes it but I think yours may beat his..
We like pinto beans instead of kidney beans, so I’d switch that out, but other than that, Im looking forward to trying out your recipe!
Thanks!
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Yum! Sounds good!
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Oh, thank you for this! I think we’ll make it and freeze the leftovers (by putting them in the car trunk–we live in Michigan so the great outdoors is one large freezer!) It will feed our family of 3 for quite awhile. By the way, chili is really good cooked up in a casserole dish, with shredded cheese and cornbread on top.
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Michele @ Frugal Granola Reply:
January 19th, 2012 at 7:34 pm
@Bethany, Yes, it’s a great time of year for that “outdoor freezer” option, isn’t it?
Your casserole sounds delicious. It also makes a good dip in a casserole dish layered on top of cream cheese, with shredded lettuce and grated cheese on top.
Thanks!
Michele
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I made something similar on Sunday for a group after church. Instead of ground beef I had kidney, black, pinto, and cannelli beans. I also added sauteed peppers. Next time I will try brown sugar or sucanat…sounds like it would be a good addition.
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Sounds yummy! For the Mexican seasoning, could I just use my homemade taco seasoning or is there something in the spice section called Mexican seasoning?
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Michele @ Frugal Granola Reply:
February 13th, 2012 at 9:34 am
@Linda, Yes, homemade taco seasoning is perfect! I sometimes have a “mexican seasoning” blend by Oregon Spice Company from our co-op, but homemade is fine, tooo.
Blessings,
Michele
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