Twinkie's World Famous Chili
Stuff you need:
2 tbs high heat oil (canola, grape seed, sunflower...not EVOO!)
2 lbs ground beef
1 28oz can diced tomatoes
3 cans brown beans in tomato sauce
1 can red kidney beans, Drained & Rinsed
2 medium or 1 large onion, Diced
1 green pepper, Diced
5-6 gloves of garlic, sliced or chopped fine, your choice
1 package of mushrooms, chopped to your liking
1/3 cup+ chili powder
1/4 cup onion powder
1/4 cup garlic powder
Tabasco sauce (or any hot sauce you like) to taste
Salt
Pepper
What you do:
In a 6L+ pot, bring oil to a high temp
Add 1lb of ground beef, cook until deeply browned (you're building flavor here, so brown it good)
Remove browned beef to a bowl, brown 2nd pound of ground beef (don't crowd the pot with both pounds at the same time, unless your pot is really big, you will end up boiling the beef instead of searing it, and it will taste disgusting)
Once browned, add original 1lb back to pot.
Salt & pepper the beef, be generous
Add 1/2 the chili powder & mix in well, to season the beef
Add onions and garlic, sweat onions for 5 minutes or so
Add green pepper
Add diced tomatoes
Add 2 cans of brown beans
Add Kidney beans
Add mushrooms
Add remaining chili powder
Add garlic powder
Add onion powder
Mix well, cover and simmer (the longer the better, minimum an hour or so). If the mix looks "dry", it will loosen up as the water is released from the green pepper, onions & tomato. If it's still looking too dry/thick for your tastes, add 1/3 to 1/2 cup of water.
10 minutes before serving:
Add last can of brown beans
Add hot sauce to taste.
The pot served at the pot luck had no mushrooms, your choice to add them or not. If you like kidney beans, feel free to use 2 cans as well.