- If the weather is starting
to cool down where you live, I have the perfect recipe for
you today, and that's chili. You can't go wrong with
a classic beef chili that's the perfect
blend of meaty richness, simmered with hearty
vegetables and warming spices. It's a one-pot wonder that's
a cinch to put together. It uses up some of those pantry staples that I'm sure you've stocked up on, and it's perfect for meal prep. So, even if you're just one or two people, don't be afraid to make this entire batch because it freezes beautifully. Now I've made a lot of chili in my time, and this is the best chili
recipe, if I do say so myself, so let me show you how to make it. The amount of chili we're making today serves about six people, so
you'll need to grab a large pot, like this Le Creuset round Dutch oven, or a large stainless steel pot. The first ingredient we're gonna slice up is four pieces of bacon. And I'm a firm believer that bacon makes for the best chili recipe as the veggies will
saute in the bacon grease and get a definite flavor boost. So slice up the bacon
and add it to your pot, and I just separate the
stacked pieces with my fingers as I drop them in. Heat the pot on medium heat and cook the bacon until it's crispy. Now, because that will take
a few minutes, I'll multitask during this step and start
cutting up the veggies, but I will keep an eye on the bacon and stir it several times. So, first up is one green bell pepper. You could use any color bell pepper, though green is always
the most economical. I chatted about why this is the case on my video for stuffed bell peppers, so, if you're interested, make sure to go back and watch that video. But, after you remove
the seeds and membrane from the bell pepper,
just slice and dice it. Next, you'll need to
dice one yellow onion. Some people add onion powder to chili, but I think it's absolutely
essential to have fresh onion. You just can't match the depth of flavor and the texture that it provides. And then I'll get three
garlic cloves ready to mince. If you're a garlic lover, you can always toss in an extra clove. It's up to you. Back on the stove the bacon is cooking and, after a couple more
minutes, it will look nice and crispy like this, which is perfect. And the good news is that you don't need to drain any bacon grease because you added the perfect
number of bacon slices to produce just the right
amount of bacon grease to saute the veggies. So add the diced bell
pepper and onion to the pot and cook for about four to five minutes, or until they've started to soften. As moisture is released from the veggies, you'll also be able to scrape up all those delicious brown bacon bits from the bottom of the pan,
which is a flavor goldmine. Once the veggies have cooked, mince those three garlic cloves, and stir for another 30 seconds. For this classic beef chili, you'll need 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef. You can use 80% or 90% lean ground beef, but, if you opt for a higher fat option, you'll have to drain
some of the grease off. Use a spatula to break up the
ground beef while it cooks, and this should take about
five to seven minutes for it to get completely browned. (pleasant music) Next, add two tablespoons of tomato paste, which will help to thicken up
the chili, and add the spices, which includes two
tablespoons of chili powder, one tablespoon of cumin,
two teaspoons of paprika, one teaspoon of dried oregano,
and one teaspoon of salt. Stir the tomato paste
and spices into the meat, and toast the spices for a minute or so, which will make them deliciously fragrant, and your kitchen will smell amazing. All right, so let's talk tomatoes. You'll need 28 ounces of tomatoes, and you can use plain diced tomatoes, but I recommend fire roasted tomatoes because they add that deep smoky flavor with all those little charred bits. So add the tomatoes to
the pot, and then drain and rinse a 15-ounce
can of red kidney beans and a 15-ounce can of
black beans, but feel free to swap in different beans
like pinto beans, as well. Add those to the pot, along
with two cups of beef broth and one bay leaf, and the
bay leaf is an easy way to just add one more layer
of flavor to the chili. Give that all a stir,
increase the heat to high until the chili comes to a
boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and let it
simmer for 30 minutes. All those smoky, spicy rich
flavors will melt together into one big pot of deliciousness. (pleasant music) Before serving, don't
forget to find your bay leaf and remove that, and then
ladle the chili into bowls. But can we just take a second to admire this beautifully
thick and chunky texture? And you'll have to take my
word for it, but the smell, oh my gosh, the smell is so good it will definitely get
your stomach growling. You can serve the chili up plain. There's certainly enough
flavor and it's hearty enough on its own, but, if you
want to be a little extra, you can add a variety of
toppings, like grated cheese, sour cream, avocados, red
onion and cilantro or parsley. But, before I dig into my bowl, I wanted to remind you that
you can meal prep leftovers. I have a separate video on my favorite meal
prep storage containers, which includes these
glass slot containers. But now there's also super
cubes, which are great for freezing one-cup or two-cup portions. I always get a lot of questions about what I do with
leftovers from my videos, and the answer is that I eat them. Nothing goes to waste. I just freeze them and
enjoy over several weeks. And cooking one large
batch is always easier than trying to cook a
small, individual portion. All right, I can finally
dig into my bowl of chili, but I can't wait to see
you guys make this recipe. Give the video a thumbs up
if you do plan to make it. Share it with your family and friends, and hit that subscribe button because I've got several new
recipes lined up for fall, and you don't want to miss 'em. (pleasant music)
