For Chilly Evenings or a Superbowl Touchdown

So it's finally Winter in DC, and Jack Frost is not messing around - it is COLD! I crave comfort food during chilly months and chili is one of my staples.  I love how you can dress up the chili differently each time you eat it with a variety of toppings.  The version I'm sharing with you is not for the spicy challenged, it has quite a kick that warms you up from the inside! Five chilies simmer together to create a gradual spice component, which does not overwhelm your palette, but does wake up the mouth with every bite.  I hope you enjoy it as much as me and hangry bf do!

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Five Chile Chili

Hangry Timer: 40 minutes
Feeds: 6
Cost: $15

This chili is the perfect thing to serve for the Superbowl.  A warm comforting dish that you can keep warm in a Crock Pot and serve with a toppings bar!  Another fun way to serve it is with mini bags of your favorite chips, just crush the chips a little and spoon a helping of chili right into the bag - no dish clean up! Let me know what your favorite ways to eat chili are and stay warm this weekend during the DC BLIZZARD WATCH! #netflixandchili

What You need:

1 lb. Ground Beef, 80/20
1 Yellow Onion, diced
2 Cloves Garlic, minced or pressed
1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped
1 Serrano Pepper, chopped*
1 Anaheim Pepper, chopped
1 Jalapeño Pepper, chopped
2 Chipotle Peppers in Adobo, chopped
1 28 oz. can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
1/2 cup Spaghetti Sauce
1 tsp. Preserved Lemon (optional)
1 Tbsp. Chili Powder
1 Tbsp. Cumin
1 Tbsp. Smoked Paprika
Salt
Pepper

Toppings

Lime Wedges
Sour Cream
Cilantro

What To Do With It:

In a pot over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Once browned, transfer meat to a paper towel-lined plate.

Discard all but one tablespoon of the fat from the pot.  Return the pot to medium heat and sauté the onions, peppers, and garlic for 4-5 minutes, until slightly tender.  Add salt and pepper to the pepper and onion mixture and stir.

Add the diced tomatoes and any type of spaghetti sauce you have on hand (or some tomato paste) and stir occasionally until heated through. Add a little more salt and pepper.

Return the meat to the pot and add remaining ingredients.  Let the chili simmer for 20-30 minutes and taste to adjust for seasoning if necessary before serving.

Serve with lime wedges, sour cream (or Greek yogurt), cilantro, Frito's, shredded cheese, chopped onion, pasta, Doritos, black olives, chopped tomato, the options are endless!!

Just be sure you don't pick your nose or scratch your eye after dicing all the peppers..... OUCH!**

*To dial the heat down a notch, remove the seeds and membrane from the peppers before you chop them, this part of the pepper is where all of the spice is stored.

**If your hands are not accustomed to seeding and chopping hot peppers, you might want to wear gloves. Otherwise you will seriously feel the burn and definitely do not rub your eyes (or nose or other parts that are sensitive), that is a real tip.

★★★