Recipe Corner: 15 Bean Chili

I like to get creative with food.

I get that from my dad.

Recipes are just suggestions...

and ideas.

I enjoy cooking beans,

they are healthy

and 

cheap

and

go a LONG way!

BUT,

we have had a couple of packs of the 

15 Bean Soup Mixes

in our pantry for a while.

I love love love them the way that Alton Brown recommends.

But of course I can't locate the recipe right now!

But no one else in my family likes it,

so I am not going to make it just for me.

For years I have been making chili

with at least 5 different bean types.

Whatever I was in the mood for at the store,

all canned

(drained and rinsed though)

Pinto

Black

Dark Red Kidney

Navy

Light Red Kidney

Any combination of the above...

or even more if I decided to go crazy!

I decided that if I usually used 5 beans in my chili...

15 beans would be even better!

Right?

I put them on the stove to soak.

 Once the beans had soaked long enough,

I cooked them in chicken stock and chili spices.

then when they were ready,

I added ground beef,

onion, 

canned tomatoes

and 

more spices.

I loved it!

I like my chili a little on the soupy side,

where I can clearly see everything.

I like my spaghetti sauce the same way.

This was served with typical chili toppings:

shredded cheese

sour cream

fresh chopped onion

jalapeno slices

and

tortilla chips (if we have them).

That giant dutch oven full of chili

with 1 lb of beans,

1 lb of ground beef

3 cans of tomatoes...

only last 2 meals for our crew...

and honestly probably should have/could have been

only 1 meal with a little leftovers.

I do not have an official recipe.

As I said at the beginning of this post,

to me, 

recipes are just ideas and suggestions.

That, however,

irritates my husband sometimes,

because he will love something I have made...

then ask my how I did it

and my response half the time is

"I don't know".

So he knows that I can't 

"duplicate" it 

but I can get close.

So the general idea of the 

 recipe

(which is the typical chili recipe/procedure):

1 pkg 15 Bean Soup Mix

1 pkg ground beef

3 cans petite dice tomatoes (w/ green chilis or chili seasoning)

chopped onion and green peppers

crushed garlic

chili powder

garlic powder

garlic salt

cumin (LOTS)

1) Soak beans for atleast 8 hours (overnight if you plan

on letting your chili cook all day in your slow cooker)

2) Saute onions & peppers

3) Add garlic for last minute, remove all from pan.

4) Brown grounded beef, remove grease

*At this point you can either cook the beans with the rest of the ingredients,

taking great care to watch the liquid level and adding liquid if necessary.

Or you can cook the beans separately and then combine remaining ingredients.

5) Cook beans in chicken stock, cumin, garlic powder,

garlic salt and chili powder.

6) Add ground beef, sauteed veggies, and tomatoes to the beans.

7) Simmer until chili has reached desired consistency and soupiness.

Your family will LOVE adding their own toppings to their bowls!