Sadie’s Chili

by Sadie Valeri

Ingredients

2 lbs. ground beef
2 cups diced onion
3 large cloves garlic, minced (about 3 teaspoons)
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 (14.5 ounce) can whole tomatoes, not drained
1 ¼ cups beef broth (plus extra broth to thin the chili at the end, if desired)
2 ½ tablespoons chili powder
1-2 teaspoons brown sugar (or increase to 1 tablespoon for a sweeter flavor)
2 ½ teaspoons cumin
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less, to taste)
2 (15.5 ounce) cans kidney beans or pinto beans, drained and rinsed (or sub with cans of corn, drained)
Optional, for serving: cornbread; corn chips; cheese; sour cream; sliced green onions/chives; cilantro; avocado; diced red onion

Instructions

Dice onion garlic and put in bowl, set aside
Combine all dry spices in bowl, set aside
Set a large, deep pan and a large soup pot on the stove.
Pour 2 cups beef broth in large pot on low, lid on
Brown beef and stir in diced onion and garlic in pan
When beef broth is simmering dump in spices
Add 2 cans beans to soup pot, with juices, bring to simmer
Once beef/onion is no longer pink, add bowl of tomatoes
Bring to simmer
Carefully! Pour beef/tomato mixture into bean/spice mixture
Bring to boil, add frozen corn, frozen califlower rice, and/or frozen spinach
Simmer on low for an hour or more.
Taste and add salt if necessary