Dr Wingnut’s Chili

Ingredients

• 2½ pounds sweet or yellow onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 pounds lean ground beef (80% lean or better)
• 2 cans (15½ oz) dark kidney beans, drained
• 2 cans (14½ oz) chopped tomatoes, drained
• 2 jars (24 oz) thick and chunky salsa (Chi-Chi’s)
• 1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies
• 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoons Lawry’s® Seasoned Salt
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 3 tablespoons chili powder

Method

1. Turn a covered large Crock-Pot on high temperature.
2. On medium heat, sweat onions and garlic in a large dutch oven, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to brown.  About 5 minutes.
3. Add the following ingredients to the Crock-Pot while the onions and garlic are cooking: beans, tomatoes, salsa, and green chilies. Stir to combine.
4. When the onions have started to brown crumble the ground beef into the onion mixture and cook covered, stirring occasionally until the ground beef is no longer raw.  About 5-7 minutes.
5. Add the spices to the meat mixture.  Stir and cook until the spices become aromatic  About 2-3 minutes.
6. Add the meat and onion mixture to the Crock-Pot, stir and cover.
7. When the chili begins to boil, stir and turn the heat down to low.
8. Cook overnight (at least 8 hours).
9. Serve with your favorite toppings, (cheese, jalapeño peppers, black olives, sour cream, chopped cilantro, et cetera) and Tortilla chips or Fritos.

• Winner of the Minnesota DNR Central Office Chili Cook-off on 2016-10-20 which advanced the doctor to the Governor’s Chili Cook-off on 2016-10-26.  Where he thankfully did not win…  they did raise $700+ for the Combined Charities campaign, however, so that was good.
• Winner 2017-10-23, DNR Cook-off
• Did not enter the cookoff in 2018
• Third Place on 2019-10-30, DNR Cook-off