Tasty Ways to Celebrate National Chili Day

Bow your heads and raise your bowls – National Chili Day is February 27th!

The history of chili dates back to Texas in the early 1700s and by the 20^th century chili joints were popping up all over the west. In fact, two of the world’s biggest chili cook-offs take place every year in Terlingua, TX, and they’ve been doing it for over 53 years!

As the home of chili, Texans tend to take it seriously, but that doesn’t mean all chili tastes the same, no sir! They’re about as varied as Texas itself. So, to honor this tasty Texas tradition, we’ve put together some of our favorite chili recipes; we even included some with beans to appease our loud and legume-loving kin.

The story of Meyer’s 3 Mistake Chili Seasoning

Buddy Meyer, Ray Arbuckle, and Otis Schanals were great friends. They hunted together, fished together and cooked together. The only problem was, they all had very different ideas on how to cook, so as a result, they constantly argued when they were preparing dishes.

At a rod and gun club event, after listening to the Three Amigos and their kitchen act, one club member was overheard saying, “It’s a mistake to let those three cook together!” Since they were preparing chili at the time, the name ‘Three Mistake Chili‘ was born.

You can order this amazing spice blend in just a few clicks at our online store.

Meyer’s Beef Chili

Ingredients

• 3 pounds hamburger meat or chili meat
• 9 cups water
• 1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
• 9 Tablespoons 3 Mistake Chili Seasoning

Directions

1. Brown meat in skillet. While meat is browning, place water, tomato sauce and 3 Mistake Chili Seasoning in pot.
2. When hamburger is finished, drain and add to pot.
3. Bring pot to boil, then reduce to simmer, cooking 30 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes.

For a thicker chili, cook extra 15 minutes, or add 1 Tbsp. flour to 3 Tbsp. warm water in glass or bowl and stir until mixed. Add to chili while stirring. Cook additional 5 minutes, stirring every minute.

Texas Beef Brisket Chili

Ingredients

• 6 large dried ancho chiles* (about 3 ounces), stemmed, seeded, coarsely torn
• 6 ounces bacon, diced
• 1 1/4 pounds onions, chopped (about 4 cups)
• 1 5-pound beef brisket, cut into 2 ½ – to 3-inch cubes
• Coarse kosher salt
• 6 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 Tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 ½ teaspoons coarse kosher salt
• 1 ½ 10-ounce cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes with green chiles (1 ¾ cups)
• 1 12-ounce bottle Mexican beer
• 1 7-ounce can diced roasted green chiles
• ½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro stems
• 4 cups 1 ½ to 2-inch chunks seeded peeled butternut squash (from 3 ½ pound squash)

Garnishes

• Fresh cilantro leaves
• Chopped red onion
• Diced avocado
• Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• Warm corn and/or flour tortillas

Directions

1. Place chiles in medium bowl. Pour enough boiling water over to cover. Soak until chiles soften, at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Sauté bacon in heavy large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat until beginning to brown. Add onions. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle beef all over with coarse salt and pepper. Add to pot; stir to coat. Set aside.
3. Drain chiles, reserving soaking liquid. Place chiles in blender. Add 1 cup soaking liquid, garlic, chili powder, cumin seeds, oregano, coriander, and 1½ teaspoons coarse salt. Blend mixture to a puree. If it is very thick, you can add more soaking liquid ¼ cup at a time to thin out the mixture. Pour puree over brisket in pot. Add tomatoes with juices, beer, green chiles, and cilantro stems. Stir to coat evenly.
4. Bring chili to simmer. Cover and place in oven. Cook 2 hours. Uncover and cook until beef is almost tender, about 1 hour. Add squash; stir to coat. Roast uncovered until beef and squash are tender, adding more soaking liquid if needed to keep meat covered, about 45 minutes longer. Season chili to taste with salt and pepper. Tilt pot and spoon off any fat from surface of sauce. (Keep in mind, this can be made 2 days ahead of serving.) Cool 1 hour. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled.

*Set out garnishes in separate dishes. Rewarm chili over low heat. Ladle chili into bowls and serve.

Smoked Sausage Chili

Ingredients

• 2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, drained
• 2 (15 oz.) cans pinto beans, drained
• 1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans, drained
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small jalapeño, seeded and diced
• 1 cup barbecue sauce
• 1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1-2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 2 (14 oz.) smoked beef sausages, sliced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a large, lightly greased slow cooker. Stir to mix well.
2. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
3. Serve with shredded cheese and chopped green onions, for garnish, if desired.

Dr. Pepper Chili

Ingredients

• 1.5-2 pound beef chuck roast
• 1-2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 cans Dr. Pepper
• 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
• 2 Tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• ¼ cup cornmeal

Directions

1. Cut roast into bite-size pieces. Heat one Tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the meat on all sides, being careful not to crowd the pan, working in batches if necessary.
2. Transfer the meat to a lightly greased slow cooker. In the same pan, sauté the onions, peppers and garlic, adding more oil if necessary, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add to the slow cooker along with the meat.
3. Stir one can of Dr. Pepper, along with the tomatoes, spices and beans into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. About 30 minutes before serving, stir in the cornmeal (this will make your chili nice and thick). If desired, stir in more Dr. Pepper just before serving.
4. Serve with desired toppings, such as cheese, sour cream, chopped veggies, corn chips, etc.

Big Bend Chili

Ingredients

• 2 (29 ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 2 (28 ounce) cans peeled and diced tomatoes
• 2 cups diced onion
• 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 pound bacon, diced
• 2 pounds spicy sausage

• 3 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 (32 ounce) bottle honey mesquite barbecue sauce
• ½ cup 3 Mistake Chili Seasoning
• 4 (15.25 ounce) cans kidney beans, undrained
• 2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, chopped

Directions

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, combine tomato sauce, tomatoes, onion and Italian seasoning.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until slightly crisp. Drain and stir into the pot.
3. In the same skillet over medium heat, cook sausage until brown. Drain and stir into the pot.
4. In the same skillet over medium heat, cook the beef until brown. Drain and stir into the pot.
5. Stir the barbecue sauce and chili powder into the pot; taste and adjust seasonings. Stir in the kidney beans and chocolate and simmer until flavors are well blended. Serve.

Southwest Turkey Chili

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground turkey
• 9 cups water
• 1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
• 9 Tablespoons 3 Mistake Chili Seasoning 
• 1 4 ounce can chopped green chilies
• 1 15 ounce can garbanzo beans, drained
• 1 15 ounce can black beans, drained
• 1 15 ounce can kidney beans, drained

Directions

1. Brown turkey meat and add ½ cup water to turkey while cooking.
2. Add all other ingredients to pot. Drain turkey meat and add to pot.
3. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook 30 minutes.

Image used under license from Shutterstock.com