My Mom’s Chili-Birdy

[wilderness]

This is the chili recipe I grew up with. My mother never wrote it down. I watched and recorded amounts to save it. She used her home-canned tomatoes. It has a bit of spice to it so if you don't enjoy that, cut the chili powder down to one level tablespoon the first time you make it and adjust to taste. My mother used rounded tablespoons. You could also leave out the pinch of red chili flakes, too.

My Mom’s Chili-Birdy


Yield: 4-5 servings

I break up the tomatoes from the can by squeezing them through my hand before adding them.

1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 Tbs olive oil
1 lb ground beef (I use 90% lean)
28 oz. can tomatoes (originally 4 cups)
6 oz. can of tomato paste
1 tomato can water
1 chopped green pepper
1 pinch celery seed
1 pinch paprika
1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional if you don't like heat)
1 pinch dried basil
1/2 tsp cumin seed or 1/4 tsp. ground cumin (or more to taste)
1 bay leaf
2 Tbsp. chili powder (Mom used rounded tablespoons)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (I use 19.5 oz. cans black beans--use whatever ones you like)

1. Fry onion in oil on low heat for a few minutes, then add ground beef, broken up. Cook slowly until brown, adding garlic towards the end. Be careful not to scorch the garlic.

2. Add remaining ingredients and simmer slowly for an hour uncovered or until thickened to your taste.

Read more: thegardenersshed.proboards.com/thread/10683/chili-recipes?page=1#ixzz64coHwg00