Halftime Chili

• servings: 8 servings
• active time: 15 minutes
• total time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 ½ pounds 90% lean ground beef

3 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper (or to taste)

½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

freshly ground black pepper (to taste, I add lots!)

28 ounce can crushed tomatoes

14 ½ ounce can tomato sauce

16 ounce can chili pinto beans in chili sauce (like Bush's, undrained)

15 ounce can black beans (rinsed and drained)

15 ounce can kidney beans (rinsed and drained)

12 ounce bottle beer (stout, ale, or pilsner style lager recommended)

grated cheese, sour cream, cilantro, avocado, crushed tortilla chips or saltine crackers, hot sauce or salsa

Directions

Heat oil in heavy large pot or Dutch oven over MEDIUM-HIGH heat. Add the onions and garlic. Sauté for about 5 minutes or until the onions have softened. Add the ground beef. Cook and stir, breaking up the ground beef until no pink remains. Drain off as much grease as you can from the pot and return it to the heat. Add the chili powder, cumin, basil, oregano, thyme, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Mix in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, all the beans, and the beer. Bring to a low boil, then reduce the heat to LOW, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.

Remove the lid and stir the chili. Continue to simmer, uncovered, for an additional 30 minutes.

Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Serve with the toppings of your choice.

Nutrition

• Calories: 510 kcal
• Total Fat: 20 g
• Saturated Fat: 7 g
• Trans Fat: 1 g
• Cholesterol: 92 mg
• Sodium: 1445 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 42 g
• Dietary Fiber: 13 g
• Total Sugars: 12 g
• Protein: 40 g