Rem's Chili, Two Ways

Today I bring you two chili recipes that are very easy and make a lot of food.  Version 1 is a more traditional meat and bean chili.  Version 2 is a paleo meat, sweet potato, and mushroom chili.  Both are delicious and use the same set of spices. 

Rem created the meat and bean version when he was living alone in his apartment.  He would make one pot to last him the whole week!  Now it doesn’t last us quite as long, but still makes a whole lot of chili.  It’s great for serving a crowd, too.  

We created the meat, sweet potato and mushroom version a few weeks ago because I was craving a bean-less chili.  I like beans but try not to eat them very often because they don't agree with me.  I LOVED this bean-less version and have been craving it ever since.  I like to serve it on top of spinach, so the hot soup wilts the spinach a bit.  Yum!

Both chilis are pretty spicy, so if you don’t like heat, leave out the serranos, the jalapenos, the cayenne pepper, or some combination of those hot ingredients.  If you love heat, definitely add all three!  An important tip when working with hot peppers like serranos: use rubber gloves or some type of covering over your hands before you work with them!!!!  The oils from the hot pepper can cause an extremely uncomfortable burning sensation on any part of your body they come in contact with. (Also, keep the gloves on as you wash the knife and cutting board that you used to chop the serranos.  Or you could just leave the serranos out if you don't want to deal with the hassle).  The first time I chopped serranos, I did not know this tip and my hands literally burned for 24 hours afterward.  I looked online and tried several remedies for relieving the burning sensation, but nothing worked.  I could hardly fall asleep that night my hands burned so bad!  So, don't make the same mistake I did.  Seriously.  It hurts.  Wear gloves. 

The spice mixture is adapted from several different recipes Rem found online.  It is cheaper, easier, and has no questionable ingredients like some chili seasoning packets you can buy at the store.  I know spices can be very expensive, so here are some secrets to finding inexpensive ones:

-At Giant Eagle, there is a section in the "Mexican" aisle with BADIA brand spices.  You can find garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and several other spices from this brand.  They are always at least half as expensive as the McCormick and other name brand spices.  

-Kroger has Kroger brand $1.00 spices, including garlic powder, chili powder, oregano, cinnamon, and several others.

-Sam's Club sells HUGE containers of spices like chili powder, garlic powder, cinnamon, and several others.  We have started buying those 3 spices at Sam's because we use them all the time and are sure to go through that whole container before it goes bad. 

Let me know if you try either version of these chilis, or share your own chili recipe in the comments section!  I would love to know what you like to put in your chili! 

Rem’s Chili (Meat and Bean Version)

1 lb. grass fed ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

2-15 oz. cans organic pinto beans, drained and rinsed

2-15 oz. cans organic black beans, drained and rinsed

2-15 oz. cans organic dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1-64 oz. bottle tomato juice (they make a version in a plastic bottle at Kroger and Giant Eagle; make sure it's just plain tomato juice, no added ingredients)

Handful of jarred jalapenos, chopped

1-32 oz. can organic diced tomatoes, with the juice

6-8 serrano chiles, diced with the seeds in (for less heat, discard the membrane and the seeds and just use the outer part of the chiles)

Spice mix:

3 T chili powder

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp salt (we use coarse ground salt)

2 tsp pepper

In a large stock pot, brown the ground beef with the onion.  Dump in all other ingredients.  Bring to a simmer, then turn to low and simmer for at least 30 minutes.  Stir occasionally during this time. You can certainly cook it longer!  The long it cooks, the more flavor will develop, but it is delicious even after just 30 minutes.  Alternatively, you could brown the meat and onion, then dump everything (including the meat and onion) into a crockpot and cook on low for however long you want.  At that point you’re just heating everything until it’s nice and hot.  Makes... a lot! (at least 10 servings)

Rem’s Chili (Paleo Version, with sweet potatoes and mushrooms)

1 lb. grass fed ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

2 lb. sliced mushrooms

2-3 lb. sweet potatoes, skin on, cubed

1-64 oz. bottle tomato juice (they make a version in a plastic bottle at Kroger and Giant Eagle; make sure it’s just plain tomato juice, no added ingredients)

Handful of jarred jalapenos, chopped

1-32 oz. can organic diced tomatoes, with the juice

6-8 serrano chiles, diced with the seeds in (for less heat, discard the membrane and the seeds and just use the outer part of the chiles)

Spice mix:

3 T chili powder

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp salt (we use coarse ground salt)

2 tsp pepper

In a large stock pot, brown the ground beef and onion.  Add mushrooms and cook until mushrooms have some color.  Dump in all of the other ingredients.  Bring to a simmer then turn to low and simmer until sweet potatoes are soft and cooked to your desired doneness (just test them occasionally during the cooking process).  To speed up the cooking process, you can microwave the sweet potato pieces before putting them in the chili so they’re already a bit soft.  Makes... a lot! (at least 10 servings)