It’s Chilly Enough for Chili

Wow – winter has arrived here in Minnesota.  Mother Nature seems to be strutting her stuff once again.  Living in the Midwest, I enjoy all the seasons but I have to say that winter always seems to sneak up on me.

The good news is that these shorter days and cooler temperatures are a great excuse to get in the kitchen and cook some warm, comforting dishes wherever you live.

One of my go-to winter meals is chili. I love the versatility:  It’s easy to prepare, a terrific make-ahead dish, and can be adjusted to your taste – once again fitting into the KilKenney Kitchen tagline “Where good food meets real life.”  I will share some additional chili recipes on the blog over the winter months – it’s nice to have a few at the ready.

This Smoky Three Bean Chili is one of my favorites.  The chipotle peppers in adobe sauce (usually found in your grocery store’s hispanic section) give it a rich, smoky flavor without adding too much heat.

You will love the way your  kitchen smells while this chili is cooking and everyone will enjoy eating it on a chilly winter night.

Smoky Three Bean Chili

This fantastic chili is perfect for a cold winter night and an excellent make-ahead meal. The spice level is easily adjusted to your taste - just start with less spice and add more as you like Adapted from a recipe by Ellie Krieger

Servings 6 people

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 Onion diced
• 1 large carrot diced
• 1.5 tsp ground cumin
• 1 lb lean ground beef or turkey if you prefer
• 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1-2 small chipotle peppers in adobo sauce See note for gluten free readers
• 1-2 tsp adobo sauce from the can of chipotle peppers
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 15.5 oz can black beans
• 1 15.5 oz can pinto beans or kidney beans
• 1 15.5 oz can white beans or other bean of your choice

Instructions

• Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven or stock pot
• Add the diced and onion and cook until the vegetables are soft about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally
• Add the cumin to the pan, stir and cook for a minute or so to toast the cumin
• Add the ground beef to the pan and break it up with a spoon
• Sauté the beef until it is cooked through and no longer pink
• Take 1 or 2 chipotle peppers out of the can (start with 1 if you like your chili less spicy)
• Cut the peppers in half, remove the seeds with a knife and chop into small pieces (if you don't have chipotle peppers in adobo, substitute 1-2 tsp chili powder)
• Add the crushed tomatoes, peppers , the chopped chipotle peppers, 1or 2 tsp of the adobo sauce from the can (or chili powder), the oregano, salt and pepper to the pan
• Add the chicken broth to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes
• Rinse the canned beans in a strainer until the water runs clear
• After the chili has simmered for 30 minutes or so, stir in the beans and cook for 15-20 minutes longer. Taste, adjust the seasonings and enjoy! Serve with your favorite toppings such as cheese, sour cream, diced onions etc..

Notes

A note about chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (or chilies in adobo) if you are gluten intolerant be sure to check the ingredients.  The brands I regularly use: Empacadora San Marcos & La Costena  list no gluten ingredients and I have never had a reaction to them. As always, I recommend that you review the ingredients in the can as brands may vary.  As stated above, you may replace the chipotle peppers in adobo with chili powder if you prefer.