Mom’s Chili.

Winter staple.

Serves: 4 nice bowls

Directions:

• Squeeze meat together to make firmer.

• Sauté in pan to brown and break meat up. (You don’t want to break into small tiny pieces but not too large either)

  • I add 1 tbsp of chili power, salt and pepper to meat when browning.

• Add chopped onion and cook until soft and meat is no longer red.

• Drain all liquid when meat and onions are done!

• Add tomato sauce, mix thru, add stewed tomato, sugar, bay leaf and more chili powder (1/2 tsp at a time to start). Break up and add one chili pepper. Mix and let cook.

• Taste and add more chili powder. Keep tasting add another chili pepper. Make it as hot as you want it.

• Add the drained beans and simmer for at least one hour on medium heat. The longer you cook it the better it gets. If it boils it tends to look soupy - just let is stand to get a thicker consistency.

• Remove bay leaf before serving!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground meat loaf mix- (beef, pork, veal)

• 1 med- lg yellow onion, chopped

• 1 can stewed tomatoes (ORIGINAL) think it’s 14oz

• 1 small can tomato sauce

• 1 can dark red kidney beans, drained

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1/2 tsp sugar

• 1 bay leaf

• 2 tsp-2 tbsp chili powder

• 1-3 whole red chilies. Break and drop seeds in!

• Beef stock (add to chili if you desire it to be less thick. No more than a cup! Add little at a time to desired consistency! Or not at all!)
  
  Optional garnishes:
  Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  Sour cream
  Chopped onion- don’t chop too small
  Hot sauce of choice
  Jalapeños sliced
  Tostitos or saltine crackers
  And anything else!