Thick and Savory Chili

Beef, chili beans, and a special surprise ingredient give this chili a savory flavor unrivaled by other chilis. Serve topped with diced raw onion, sour cream, and shredded Cheddar cheese for a mouth-watering delight! Believe it or not, the secret is the ketchup (NOT catsup) that adds just the right flavor to the sauce; use more or less as desired. Use sauteed fresh mushrooms for a special treat! Seasonings may be added to taste. If you want it really hot, use hot chili beans and add more chili powder and cayenne pepper or include hot peppers!

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 50 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins
• Calories: 312 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 cup ketchup
• 2 teaspoons white sugar (Optional)
• ¼ cup chili powder, or to taste
• 1 large sweet onion (such as Vidalia®), diced
• 2 (15 ounce) cans whole tomatoes, cut into chunks
• 2 (15 ounce) cans mild chili beans
• 2 (6 ounce) jars mushrooms, drained

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir beef, about half the sweet onion, and garlic powder in the hot skillet until completely browned, 5 to 7 minutes.

Step 2

Mix tomato chunks, chili beans, tomato sauce, kidney beans, ketchup, and tomato paste in a large pot; bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Stir the ground beef mixture and mushrooms into the tomato mixture; season with chili powder, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Cook chili at a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the flavors blend, about 45 minutes. Top individual servings with diced sweet onion to serve.