Cocoa Chipotle Chili

Chili is the perfect weekend food. I have spent the past two Sundays leisurely working on big batches of chili and toppings, enjoying my new kitchen, having little dance parties, and making the most of the cold weather.

I love chili because you can add anything and everything and come up with a different recipe each time. I’m sure I have shared that sentiment a million times before, but in a busy world, it is definitely a welcome little trick.

This chili isn’t too complicated, and like most of its kind is fine with substitutions.

Ingredients

2 cans fire roasted tomatoes (depends on how liquid-y you want your chili)

1 can black beans

1 can Cuban style or BBQ beans

1 pound grass fed ground beef

2 cups sweet corn

3 tablespoons chipotle in adobo, finely pureed

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 large white onion, diced

splash of chocolate stout

spices to taste: garlic powder, crushed red pepper, chili powder, hot paprika

I started the chili by cooking down the chopped onion in some olive oil, then adding in the ground beef until browned. As it browned, I added the cocoa powder and shakes of garlic powder, crushed red pepper, and hot paprika. Once the beef was browned, I added the tomatoes, beans, and corn, then stirred in the chipotle. Finally, I added the beer and brought it all up to a simmer, going about my day as the wonderful smells filled the air. I let the chili cook for a couple of hours, then shut the heat off. When we were ready to eat I brought it up to a boil again and made sure it was cooked and hot through.

We topped the chili with sliced avocado, pickled jalapeno, shredded cheese, sour cream, and cilantro, with a side of chocolate stout. It was the perfect Sunday supper and made for days of lunch leftovers for my husband. There’s a good chance I will be kicking off another week with this chili. It’s just that good!

What are you having for Sunday supper this week?