FIRST PLACE CHILI
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First Place Chili recipe is a great cold-weather meal. Made in one pot, it’s an easy weeknight dinner for your family with plenty of leftovers.
Over the years I have tried more chili recipes than I can count on both hands trying to find the perfect mix of flavors to suit the Hubs. I’ve tried countless homemade recipes and many mixes before altering this Chili recipe numerous times.
He wanted the chili thick but still ‘soupy’. He wanted spicy, but not too spicy. And, yes, to beans. And I finally figured out he doesn’t like the taste a masa even though he insisted that he did.
Don’t let the name, First Place Chili, fool you. I’ve never won a competition with it. This recipe has simply come in first place with Hubs after many, many attempts at perfecting chili.
First Place Chili
 
First Place Chili
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork sausage regular flavor
- 1 pound ground beef you can use lean ground beef, ground chicken or turkey
- 1 large white onion chopped, about 1 cup or to your taste
- 10 ounces tomatoes and green chiles Rotel tomatoes
- 16 ounces chili beans drain & rinse if you're concerned about sodium
- 15 ounces beans drained & rinsed. Any beans will work; use your favorite. I used chili and great Northern today.
- 15 ounces tomato sauce
- 3 Tablespoons chili powder adjust to your liking this is what I've found we like
- 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon crushed dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 Tablespoon masa harina instant corn masa mix- this will make it thicker. You can leave this out
Instructions
- Place sausage, beef and onion in a large stew pot over medium heat and cook until meat is browned and onions tender (about 15 min).
- Break the meat into crumbles as it cooks. Drain off excess fat. Mix the diced tomatoes, chili beans, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, salt paprika, oregano, garlic powder and cayenne pepper (and masa harina, if using).
- Bring the chili to a simmer and reduce heat. Simmer for at least an hour.
- Alternately, mix all ingredients in a slow-cooker and simmer for 4 hours on low.
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are important to you, I recommend calculating them yourself.
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Great recipe! We have won 2 Chili contests with it, it lives up to its name. Highly recommend!
Do you drain the beans? And so is this just 2 cans of beans total then? the 16 oz can of chili beans and one other can (what size)..thanks
drain and rinse if you’re concerned about sodium. 15 ounce can of another bean.
I will be making this chili in a couple weeks, it looks delicious…can’t wait!
This is a very delicious sounding chili!
Thank you so much for sharing this at Wednesday Extravaganza! Come by today to vote and sign up for my Giveaway 🙂
http://www.hungrylittlegirl.com/1/post/2012/11/wednesday-extravaganza-5-giveaway.html
I love chili, Paula! I like that this one adds masa harina! Some of those words I know and use …. some of them I had never heard (nictitate and lily-livered?!) Ha. Who uses those words?
Ok now you got my attention! This looks DELICIOUS!
Maybe you should enter it into a contest….it sure looks good! I like words too and you had a few there I didn't know!
I had planned to comment, but now I have to go make chili!