perfect winter chili

It's been really cold in Nor Cal this week (for here), perfect time of year to make a big pot of chili. The basis of the recipe is from epicurious.com and a restaurant in Hawaii but I changed it so much that I'm calling it mine. :) This is great for a few nights of family dinners or if you are having a crowd for dinner.  

Perfect Winter Chili

1 lb ground beef - browned

1 lb ground pork - browned

1 29 oz can of diced tomatoes

2 cans tomato paste

1 onion chopped

3 cloves garlic crushed

1 1/2 TB cumin

1 1/2 TB chili powder (or more to taste)

1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Dash of Cayenne pepper (or more to taste)

1 1/2 teaspoon of salt

2 cups of beef broth

After browning the meat in a pan, throw all ingredients in a crock pot and let it cook for hours. You can also add 2 cups chopped bell peppers but I do this infrequently. About an hour before you are ready to serve, add to crock pot:

2 cans of beans (drained), black, pinto or kidney 

More broth (if needed)

Serve with grated cheddar cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips. I usually make a salad to go along with the chili.

The best part of this meal is it takes very little time to prepare, about 20 minutes, and then you let it simmer in the crock pot for hours while you get a myriad of holiday tasks accomplished or curl up with a good book. It's even better on day two. Yum!!

Lisa

ps. I have been trying to switch to a Primal diet (similar to Paleo) and finding dinners that do not incorporate bread, pasta, or rice has been an ongoing challenge. This has some dairy which is technically not allowed but not as forbidden as gluten :)