No Bean Chili

I really need to come up with a better name for this as the title just doesn't do this chili any justice!

#JANUARYWHOLE30

I've been making this for the past 3 years or so and it's become a freezer staple in that I freeze half of it in a large ziploc bag for a future meal that's beyond just chili: 4 Way Chili, Chili Cheese Dogs, Chili Taters ... so many things!  Of course, MY favorite is the 4 Way Chili ...

It's on the menu this week without the cheese!

So, being that it's been a while since I originally shared the recipe, and I'd like to think my photography skills have gotten a tad better (stop laughing!) I figured I'd update the recipe! Not to mention, over time, I've made a few slight modifications to the recipe to suit our taste!

Yes, it IS grain free, and because I finally threw down the kitchen towel on Thursday morning and said I'm doing it (Whole30), I knew I needed to make a batch of this right away ... and even better, Whole Foods had a sale on their grass fed beef for $5.99 a pound. I may have overbought, but that's ok since I can just freeze it up and as to the additional cost, no biggie in that I won't be buying beer, vodka, Jack or Patron for the next 30 plus days. I say PLUS because in the event I mess up (ahem, margaritas, beer) I'm just tacking another day or two on at the end. Because I KNOW this is going to be MY problem. Just sayin'.

So ... even if you do eat grains, dairy, beans, all that stuff, you should still make this as it's a different chili and pretty damn tasty to boot!

Here's what you need:

1 tbs olive oil
1 large onion, diced (I used my ******)
2 tbs fresh chopped garlic
2 pounds of ground beef
2 tbs chili powder
2 tbs oregano
1 1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa (I use Hershey's baking cocoa)
1 tsp all spice (just picked up some a few months ago finally at Aldis)
1 can of tomato paste
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
1 carton beef broth (I used stock cuz it's what I had on hand)

Heat a large pot over medium heat and add your oil. Toss in the onions and sautee til just turning translucent. Add garlic, give a quick stir and once you smell garlic cooking, add your ground beef. TIP: break up your beef as you add it to the pot so it's easier to break into small pieces while it starts to cook.

Mix up all your spices, including that cocoa!

Once the ground beef is cooked, feel free to remove any excessive amount of fat in the pan. I use this niftly little scoop that takes out quite a bit at a time.

Add the spices, stir and let it cook for a few minutes.

Add in your tomato paste and mix well. Allw that to cook for a few minutes.

Add your tomatoes (juice and all) and your beef broth, stir well and bring to a boil. Once you hit the boil, reduce heat to simmer, place your splatter screen over the pan and walk away for an hour or so.

Feel free to stir the chili periodically, but you need to let it cook down to thicken it up. This allows the flavors to really come out ;-)

That's how I like it ... if you like yours more soupy, then add more broth after you let it thicken up some.

Serve up with some avocado slices, fresh diced onions, cilantro. If you do dairy, feel free to add a little cheese on top, but honestly, it does NOT need it!

Enjoy!

Looking forward to sharing over at some of these GREAT Blog Parties ... go check them out!

If you are interested in following along how I'm eating for the next 30 plus days, follow me on Instagram where I hope to post at least two of the three meals a day!



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