My Brother Vlad's Chili

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb ground beef
• 28 ounces italian-style diced tomatoes or 28 ounces plum tomatoes
• 6 ounces tomato paste
• 1 3/4 cups beef broth
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Recipe

• 1 cook onions and garlic until soft.
• 2 add meat and brown.
• 3 add all other ingredients and simmer 30 min (if using whole tomatoes, use kitchen scissors to cut up into small pieces inside the can).
• 4 add beans and cook 20 min more.
• 5 serve with rice, cornbread, or tortilla chips!
• 6 variations: use 2 t spices; add 1 t cayenne; add chorizo (soft) to your chili base; use 1 bottle dark beer instead of beef broth (like negro modelo). i have used ground turkey instead of beef, and add a can of black beans or pinto beans (for 2 cans total of beans). i also like to add bell peppers (diced) and/or jalapeno peppers.