1 Pot Chili for Game Day

Here is classic one-pot chili, start to finish. Everything in one big pot (a Dutch oven or heavy soup pot with a lid): Thank you so much for cooking along with me today. I hope you'll try this one at your house — and when you do, come back and tell me how your family liked it. I hope this chili warms your house the way it warms mine. Give it a try — I think you're going to love it. You'll need: 2 lb ground beef (or half beef, 1/2 lb of sweet Italian sausage, or half ground turkey) 1 large onion, diced · 1 green bell pepper, diced · 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 Tbsp chili powder · 1 Tbsp ground cumin · 1 tsp smoked paprika · 1 tsp dried oregano · 1 tsp salt · 1/2 tsp black pepper · pinch of cayenne if you like a little kick 🌶️ 1 can (28 oz) crushed or diced tomatoes, with juices 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce 1 small can of tomato paste 2 cans (15 oz each) kidney beans, drained and rinsed (or one kidney, one black bean) You could use any beans that you like. 1- 2 cup beef broth If you need to loosen the chili up a bit, you can add a little more beef broth. Step by step: Brown the beef. Put the pot on medium-high heat, add the beef, and break it up with a spoon. Cook about 8 minutes until no pink is left. Spoon off most of the fat, but leave about a tablespoon in the pot — that's flavor. Soften the vegetables. Add the onion and bell pepper, if using, right into the same pot. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until they go soft. Wake up the spices. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Cook just 1 minute, stirring the whole time. This little step is the secret — the spices bloom in the hot fat and the whole pot smells wonderful. Add the wet things. Pour in the tomatoes with their juices, the tomato sauce, and the beef broth. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pot — those browned bits are gold. Add the beans. Stir the drained beans in. Simmer low and slow. Bring it up to a gentle bubble, then turn the heat to low, put the lid on slightly crooked, and simmer at least 30 minutes — 45 is better, stirring every so often so nothing sticks. It thickens up as it goes. Taste and fix. Taste a spoonful. Needs more salt? More heat? A pinch of sugar if the tomatoes taste sharp? Now's the time. Toppings to serve: shredded cheddar, sour cream, green onions, jalapeños, crackers, hot sauce, whatever you like. Rest and serve. Take it off the heat and let it sit 10 minutes — it thickens a touch more. Ladle into bowls and pass the cheddar, sour cream, and green onions. You can add corn bread as well. Thank you so much for watching.