Weekend Chili
Submitted by Flint
Big-batch weekend chili that feeds 30 to 40 people, slow-simmered for 6 hours with ground beef, kidney beans, Rotel tomatoes, and bold spices. The ultimate game day or potluck crowd-pleaser.
YIELD
30 servingsPREP
1 hrsCOOK
6 hrsREADY
7 hrsThis is not a Tuesday night chili. This is a clear-your-Saturday, fire-up-the-biggest-pot-you-own, feed-the-whole-block kind of chili.
Nine pounds of ground beef (or turkey if you’re going lighter) get browned and layered with five onions, bell peppers, celery, garlic, and a serious hit of cumin, oregano, and chili powder.
Roasted Rotel tomatoes, whole canned tomatoes, and two kinds of tomato sauce build a deep, rich base that only gets better with every hour it sits on the stove.
The beans and chopped chili peppers go in for the last hour, and after six hours of simmering, you’ve got a pot of chili with flavor so layered and complex it tastes like it took all weekend. Because it did.
Pro Tips
- Brown the meat in batches so it actually sears instead of steaming in its own juices. Crowding the pan kills the crust.
- Adding the beans in the last hour keeps them intact instead of mushy. Nobody wants bean paste in their chili.
- Serve with corn chips, sour cream, shredded cheese, and chopped green onions for a full spread.
- This freezes brilliantly in quart containers. Make the full batch even if you don’t need 40 servings.
Ingredients
Directions
Brown meat completely, then drain.
Add onions, peppers, celery, garlic and worcestershire sauce.
Let simmer about 5 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients except green onions, beans, and chili peppers. Simmer on medium to low heat for about 5 hours. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for another hour. The longer you cook it the better it gets. Serve with corn chips or crackers. Serves 30 to 40 people
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