Amazing Chili

Poor Man’s Gourmet Kitchen amazing pot of chili.

The Best Chili Ever

I’ve been searching for a recipe that is exactly what anyone would expect amazing Chili to taste like, if that’s how it was described to you. If someone tells me “it’s the best”, by golly, it better be. I don’t want it thin and runny or light on the meat and it better not have any funky after taste. It just better be the best damn chili I’ve ever eaten or, at least, be convinced its the best in the moment I’m eating it. Well, this is it. I pulled it off and it isn’t that crazy either. There aren’t a million and one ingredients. I’ve even added a “Poor Man’s” hack to the recipe and a way to save money on bacon.

A package of Bacon, sausage and ground beef.

Carnivorous Chili

I’m going to shoot you straight and tell you right out of the gate, this recipe has meat, as it should, and a lot of it. I do have a fantastic Vegetarian Chili recipe on here, if you’re interested, but this is exactly the way I like my chili and it’s how I think it should be prepared anywhere. I’m talking about bacon, pork sausage and ground beef mixed into this recipe so, be prepared to go to work.

The cool thing is, I found a way to save 2/3 the cost on bacon by purchasing Bacon Ends and Pieces instead of a standard package. The cheapest bacon around here averages about $3.50 US for a 12 oz package and I bought 3 lbs of Bacon Ends and Pieces for $5.50 so, you do the math. The best part is is that it’s perfect chopped up into little pieces that can blend right in with the ground beef and pork sausage.

A bag of dry Pinto beans and 2 large cans of Frijoles.

Chili Beans

There are plenty of beans to choose from that you can add to your chili and you’re welcome to substitute or add your favorite to this recipe. My self, I like to stick with the classic Pinto Beans. It’s the way I had it growing up and it’s still the way I like to eat my chili today. In this recipe I use two 30 oz can’s of Frijoles, Pinto Beans, with the juice, but you can use dry beans and reconstitute them ahead of time, if you prefer. Just be sure to add about a cups worth of broth to the recipe to compensate for the missing bean juice. You also might have to add a pinch of salt for the missing sodium.

Chili pot on the stove with additional ingredients added over top.

Fine Tuning the Chili

In this recipe, I season the ground beef and pork sausage with 2 small packages of Taco Seasoning; about 2 oz. That’s the Poor Man’s hack I mentioned but once everything is combined, it’s time to fine tune the recipe with a few key ingredients and spices. I add Cumin, Coriander, Chili Powder, Cocoa and Mexican Oregano. Anything else you may think it needs is probably already in the taco seasoning. Unless you want to add Worcestershire or something, not needed btw, I would stick with the original recipe. I also add a few splashes of Brandy but that’s optional. It’s not uncommon to add beer if you prefer or your favorite bourbon.

This recipe is Chili so, it’s a little on the spicy side. I don’t think it’s too hot to eat but I don’t think it’s exactly for children either. If you’re making this recipe for kids or someone that has mild tastes, use bell peppers instead of Jalapeno’s, mild Taco Seasoning, instead of original, and use only 1 Chipotle Pepper in Adobo Sauce. You might even want to ditch the addition of Chili Powder. Feel free to tweak anything else to your specific tastes, if you like, just know that I stand behind this recipe 100% and I think it’s perfect exactly the way it is.

Amazing Homemade Chili – Ground Beef, Bacon and Pork Sausage by PoorMansGourmet

Amazing Chili Ingredients:

1.5 lbs Hamburger
12 oz Bacon, chopped
1 lbs Pork Sausage, breakfast
2 pkg Taco Seasoning, original (2 oz )

1 Onion, chopped
3 Jalapenos, chopped with seeds & membrains
3 Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce, chopped
8 Cloves Garlic, chopped
2 30 oz cans Pinto Beans with Juice
2 15 oz cans Tomato Sauce
2 15 oz cans Diced Tomatoes

1 tbsp Cumin
1 tbsp Mexican Oregano
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Coriander
1/2 tsp Cocoa
1/2 cup Bourbon, optional
Salt and Pepper to taste

Follow the instructions in the video tutorial and I’ll show you exactly how easy this Amazing Chili is to make.

Taco Salad

How to make Taco Salad

If you do it right, Taco Salad can be amazing. It’s one of my wife’s all time favorites. And she got really excited, when she heard me say that this was going to be my next video recipe post, because this salad has got it all. I’m talking about, not only, a great selection of salad ingredients but an array of toppings that really make this recipe pop. And it’s the combination of those ingredients that really make a great Taco Salad.

4 Major Taco Salad Ingredients

Unless you want to buy some of these pre-made ingredients, you’re going to need 3 other recipes and it doesn’t matter if you already have your favorite go to recipes or if you want to use mine. Either way, it is essential that you have a nice and thick Chili No Beans, a good Guacamole and of course homemade fresh Salsa. I would highly recommend making all of these, beforehand, yourself because let’s face it, store bought Guacamole, Salsa and Chili, never really measure up. But settling for canned ingredients isn’t the worst thing in the world and if that’s the way you decide to go, your salad will still turn out out pretty good. But I would highly recommend going the extra mile on this one and make everything fresh.

The fourth major ingredient, in my opinion, is of course optional but I think is very necessary; Sour Cream. No all you need is your favorite greens and chopped vegetables to make a salad and you’ll be well on your way.

Taco Salad Ingredients:

1 head Iceberg Lettuce, chopped or torn
1 Red Onion, sliced
4-6 Sweet Peppers, chopped
1 can Black Olives
1 Cucumber
8 oz Cherry Tomatoes
1 can Red Beans

2 cans Chili No Beans, RECIPE
1 pint Guacamole, RECIPE
8 oz Salsa, RECIPE
1 pint Sour Cream
1 lbs Cheddar Cheese

To make this Taco Salad, just follow the instructions in the video tutorial.

Vegetable Chili with 4 Beans

100% Vegetarian Vegetable Chili

This Vegetable Chili, for me, is really exciting. Because this time of year I get to start, slowly but surely, harvesting what I’ve been growing in my garden all summer long. In this video I was able to use my Zucchini and Yellow Squash. Everything else unfortunately isn’t ready to be picked yet but I was able to pick up those ingredients at the store.

4 Bean Vegetable Chili

I’m using 4 different kinds of beans in this Vegetable Chili recipe; Pinto, Black, Red and Garbanzo Beans but you can use whatever you like. The basic idea behind this recipe starts with the Cajun Holy Trinity; Onions, Celery, Bell Peppers and chopped Garlic. Then I like to work my way up the pot with the larger vegetables, Tomato Sauce and then the seasonings before I add the beans. But once all 4 cans of those are in, I add the broth and simmer for 10 minutes with the lid. In no time you will have the absolute best Vegetarian Chili you have ever had. In fact the only thing that would make this Vegetable Chili recipe better is Chicken!

Vegetable Chili Ingredients:

1 can Pinto Beans
1 can Black Beans
1 can Red Beans
1 can Garbanzo Beans
1 can Tomato Sauce
3 Cups Vegetable Broth

1 Onion, chopped
1 Bell Pepper, chopped
1 Celery Stick, chopped
1 Garlic Clove, chopped
2 Roma Tomatoes, Chopped
1 Zucchini, chopped
1 Yellow Squash, chopped
1 Corn on the cob, sliced
1 Chipotle Pepper in Adobo Sauce, minced
1/3 cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped
3 tbsp Olive Oil, for sauteing

1 tsp Coriander
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tbsp Cumin
1 tbsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Cocoa
Salt and Pepper to taste

To make this 4 Bean Vegetable Chili, just follow the instructions in the video tutorial.