Rachael Ray’s Tex-Mex Corn Chip Chili
The weather here in Kansas City is finally gorgeous. We have been having sunny, mid-70-degree days. Those of you who have been with me for a while know how thrilled this makes me. I have made no secret of my detest for winter, so finally having days that are as close to perfect as I think we get in Kansas just makes life all the better!
Yesterday we spent the entire day… from sunup to sundown, outside. The kids played and played and played. We all got our first sunburns of the season (apparently a requirement with fair-haired, fair-skinned kiddos) and came inside at the end of the day absolutely exhausted.
So, on days like this, what does everybody crave for dinner? What is the official meal of carefree spring days? How about a big, steaming bowl of hot chili? No?? Yeah . . . chili in 70-degree weather is just about as much of a perfect match as Star Jones and Al Reynolds . . . which is not a match at all.
Being the rule breakers that we are, our family did enjoy big steaming bowls of chili for dinner. The reason being I have had this recipe from the March 2008 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray bookmarked for quite some time and I couldn’t stand the thought of waiting until winter comes along again to give it a try. It won the magazine chili cookoff and for very good reasons. This chili is hearty, robust, and soooooo good. I think it just might be our new go-to beef chili recipe.
If you are happily kissing winter good-bye but want to savor one or two more comforting recipes from the winter months, I say go for it. It just gives you that much more to look forward to trying again when the colder months return.
Tex-Mex Corn Chip Chili
(March 2008 issue of Rachael Ray magazine)
45 min | 10 min prep | SERVES 6
| 2 | tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil |
| 1 | lb lean ground beef |
| 1/2 | sweet onion, finely chopped |
| 1 | garlic clove, finely chopped |
| 1 | tablespoon chili powder |
| 1 | teaspoon ground cumin |
| 1 (15 | ounce) can black beans |
| 1 (15 | ounce) can pinto beans |
| 1 (10 | ounce) can tomatoes and green chilies |
| salt and pepper, to taste | |
| 1/2 | cup chopped fresh cilantro |
| 12 | ounces monterey jack pepper cheese, shredded |
| 1 (10 | ounce) bag corn chips, such as Fritos |
- In a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook for 7 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, chili powder and cumin and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Add the beans, with their liquid, and the tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in the cilantro, then top with the cheese, cover, and let stand until the cheese melts, 5 to 10 minutes. Place a handful of corn chips in each of 4 bowls. Top with the chili and serve.
