Chili Recipe

This Old Fashioned Chili Recipe came from a Hot Dog vendor at Carolina Beach in North Carolina. It is superb, made with ground beef and special spices, then slow cooked in the oven to perfection, for that old timey taste and texture.

It makes a large quantity. Divide it up to make many of the dishes/recipes suggested below. Freeze leftovers for later use.

Hot Dog Chili

3 lbs. ground beef

2 large onions, chopped

1 quart water (4 cups)

2 whole bay leafs

1 1/2 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional - VERY hot!)

1/2 teaspoon ground thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground oregano leaves

Mix all ingredients in a large Dutch Oven, or similar type baking pan with a lid. Cover and cook in a 350 F oven for 3 hours. Check every 30 minutes or so, after the first hour to see if it seems to need more water added to keep it from getting too dry.

Unless a lot of steam escapes from around the lid, you should not need to add more liquid. Cook it to the thickness of a commercial chili.

Tip: If you don't like the taste of one of the spices the recipe calls for, eliminate it. Customize it to your family's taste.

NOTE: This recipe will serve a crowd. If you need a smaller amount, divide the recipe in half or fourths. To save time and money, I make up the whole batch even when I need a little. I then store the leftovers in freezer/canning jars to be thawed when I want to make one of the suggested dishes below.

Suggested Dishes For This Chili

Hot Dogs

Serve with a wiener on a bun and add other favorite condiments, such as coleslaw, mustard, ketchup, pickle relish, and onions. Some people like to add sauerkraut.

Chili Beans

Add a cup of chili to a can of pinto beans or red kidney beans. Mix and match the beans, if you prefer. Add a cup of diced or crushed tomatoes and simmer 15-20 minutes until beans are thoroughly hot.

Hamburgers

Add a little of your favorite bbq sauce to a cup of chili, heat and serve with a hamburger on a bun.

Tacos

Serve in a taco shell with lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, taco sauce, etc. or in a taco salad.

Ground Beef Vegetable Soup

Spice up a pot of vegetable soup with 2-4 cups chili.

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