Back in the day (the “day” before there were two small boys running around my house), I would’ve used fresh corn, soaked beans overnight, roasted and peeled my own peppers, and so forth. But now, I’m an “up-to-my-eyeballs” Mommy, and I need to save some time! So I use frozen corn, jarred, roasted peppers, and canned beans! It’s still wonderful, I promise!
This chili will be a huge crowd pleaser! (How couldn’t it be with chocolate as an ingredient?) Hopefully, depending on who you’re rooting for, the game will be, too!
Ingredients:
- 6 strips applewood smoked bacon
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey
- 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onions
- 1 1/2 tablespoons finely minced garlic cloves
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 cups corn kernels
- 1 cup roasted green peppers, peeled, seeded & chopped into medium dice
- 1 cup roasted red peppers, peeled, seeded & chopped into medium dice
- 2 (28-ounce) cans Italian chopped tomatoes
- 2 (15-ounce) cans red kidney beans
- 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- Salt and pepper
Preparation:
Serves 10
Total Prep and Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Add the bacon to a large stock pot over medium heat and cook until it begins to brown. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are soft, about 4 minutes. Then add the meat to the pot and cook until it’s no longer pink and it starts to brown, about 5 minutes.
Add the wine to the pot, bring to a boil, and reduce it by about half. Put in the cumin and chili powder and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the corn, peppers, tomatoes, and beans. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
Put in the chocolate and the maple syrup and continue to cook for a few minutes, to gently combine all of the flavors.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Some additional notes:
You’ll save 15 minutes and please your vegetarian guests by omitting the bacon and meat. Simply begin with the onions in a bit of olive oil.
This is great with a piece of Sweet n’ Savory Corn Bread! I dunk it right in the chili!
