Kevi’s Chili

Kevi’s Award Winning Chili

What can I say about this chili?  It is a recipe that Mom served on Friday evenings, especially in the Fall and Winter after football and basketball games.  She served this with Onion Bread which was great!

I have made a few changes to kick it up a notch, but the “secret” ingredient stays the same…….Campbell’s Tomato Soup.  I have tried this with other brands of soup and it just doesn’t work!  So, please, splurge and spend the extra 20 cents on Campbells.

I have won several Blue Ribbons in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana with this recipe including 4 years straight at the Greater Essexville-Hampton Chili Cook-off in Michigan (I have since been banned from this competition!!).  I use my own homemade chili powder but any store-bought chili powder will work.

The chili is very hot as written so you may want to cut down on the pepper flakes and the cayenne.  You will notice it employs a strategy called “dumps” which is a sequence of adding the various ingredients.  Chile’s flavors change as they cook, so you want some to cook a long time and others not so long.  Of course, you can also just dump everything together and cook…like Mom did.  It also does not require a great deal of cooking time.  No need to simmer all day!

1 pound Ground beef
1 medium Onion(s), chopped
2, 10 3/4 ounce cans Campbell’s tomato soup
1 1/2 cups Chicken stock
1, 14 1/2 ounce can Tomato(s), crushed
1 tablespoon Cumin powder
2 teaspoons crushed Red pepper (like they use at the pizza joints)
5 tablespoons Chili powder
1 15 oz. can Pinto beans
1 tablespoon Black telicherry pepper (regular black pepper will work)
1 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoons Cayenne pepper

DUMP 1: Brown beef, onion, 1/2 tablespoon cumin and all red pepper .

DUMP 2: Add soup, chicken stock, tomatoes and 2 tablespoons of chili powder, salt and pepper and simmer for 30 minutes.

DUMP 3: Add beans, remaining chili powder, 1/2 tablespoon cumin and all cayenne pepper and simmer another 30 minutes.

As was tradition in our home, whenever Mom made chili she also served up homemade Onion Bread.

BBQ techniques, family recipes