first time friday: gabrielle makes lauren's queen bee chili.

So if you know me (Gabrielle) in real life, you definitely know that I’m without a doubt the pickiest eater on the planet. So many people try to argue with me on this, but seriously, I’m pickier than anyone you know. And, you may know that my husband, Jessie, is the opposite of me & will literally eat anything. He loves all things spicy & I love all things NOT spicy.

As a special treat to him before a long two weeks on the road traveling with his band, I decided to make one of his all-time favorite foods & try out Lauren’s chili recipe. This recipe feeds an army, so you can definitely make it for the whole family, or alternatively you can freeze half to heat up and have later! In this instance, I put it in Tupperware to send with him for a home cooked meal on the bus!

Honestly, I struggled from the start with this, just ask Lauren. I think I asked her about 87 questions before I even hit the grocery store. Once I gathered all the ingredients, though, it was pretty easy!

Recipe

Ingredients:

1 small yellow onion

cloves of garlic

1-2 lb ground beef

1 can dark kidney beans

1 can great northern beans

1 can pinto beans

1 can cannelloni beans

1 can diced tomatos

1 can stewed tomatos

1 6 oz can tomato paste

1 can tomato puree

Spices:

1 tsp Chili powder

2 tsp Chili flakes

2 tsp Garlic powder

2 tsp Onion powder

2 tsp Cumin

1 tsp Paprika

1 Bay leaf

2 tsp oregano

Salt/pepper (to taste)

Optional ingredients:

Diced green peppers, cheese, hot sauce, jalepenos

Directions:

Dice 1 small yellow onion and using a cast iron dutch oven, sauté until the onion is almost caramelized (should be see through but not brown). Add in 2-3 cloves of garlic and sweat.

Add in the ground beef and brown along with chili powder, chili flakes, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, bay leaf, salt and pepper.

Drain liquid from cans and add in beans. Add in diced tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, and tomato puree.

Simmer for 30-40 minutes and serve.

Lauren tip: This is my go-to base chili recipe! If you like your chili ~really~ meaty, do 1.5 pounds ground beef and 1 pound spicy sausage. I usually grab a beer and pour half into the pot with 2 tbsp of Worcestershire while chili simmers to add extra flavor. I advise using a LARGE pot- Gabrielle and I both have this 6 qt style from Martha Stewart and I highly suggest at least 6 qts.

xoxogabrielle