Ingredients:
1 tbsp. oil
½ onion, diced
salt
1 clove or ¼ tsp. garlic, minced
1 ½ lb. ground beef
more salt
pepper
1 packet McCormick Gluten-Free Chili Mix
½ tsp. cocoa powder
1 can diced tomatoes (fire-roasted preferred), undrained
1 can cannellini, kidney, or pinto beans, rinsed & drained
½ c. water (optional)
Directions:
1. Set up mis-en-place: Combine ground beef, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Dice onion (fan cut recommended) and set aside. Mis-en-place for first few steps is important to prevent burning of empty pot on stove-top while prepping next set of ingredients.
2. Preheat large pot on stovetop burner set to medium-low (About 3.5 if your burner goes from 1-10). Add oil to pot and toss in diced onion. Sprinkle in salt and stir to coat. Cover pot with lid and let sweat until onions turn translucent. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. Add garlic and cook 1-2 more minutes before removing onion mixture. Set aside in separate vessel, and return prepared pot to heat.
3. Brown the seasoned ground beef in the same pot on medium heat. Stir more for a uniform texture of the final chili, stir less to develop some crusty bits. Break apart larger chunks with edge of spatula, and use edge of spatula to scrape bottom of the pot when stirring so beef doesn’t stick and burn. When done, move beef to mesh strainer set over mixing bowl.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add onion mixture back to pot, and stir in chili mix, cocoa, undrained tomatoes, and beans. Add drained beef to pot, stir to combine, and cover with lid. Simmer 15 minutes.
5. Serve topped with grated cheese, sour cream, green onions, hot sauce, sliced jalapeños, or with a side of cornbread.
So that’s it. If you like it spicier, you could add some extra chili powder, swap your canned tomatoes for a can of Rotel, or just throw in some sliced chili peppers. If even mild chili is too spicy for you, stir in some sour cream, grated cheese, make chili mac (omit the beans), or even serve in a loaded baked potato.
But why the extra steps? Well, the original instructions basically call for bland, browned beef to be simmered in a sauce of chili mix and tomatoes. For meat to have any real flavor, it needs to be seasoned before cooking. That’s why you salt and pepper the meat before browning. That’s also why you sweat the onions and garlic first in the same pot, you want the pot to get coated in all that flavor. You can use separate vessels if you’re in a rush and want to cook down the onion mixture and brown the meat at the same time, but you’re not going to develop the same depth of flavor that you’ll get from using the same pot and working in stages.
Enjoy your gluten-free chili! It’s especially great on cold nights, which most of the rest of the country experiences every day this time of year (we even get them occasionally here in Florida). Leave your thoughts in a comment below, or get in touch with me directly by filling out the form on the contact page.
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