Folks love their football, and I love my chili.
Happy Tuesday, folks! If you love both your football and your chili, what better combo than gameday and Gameday Chili?
A breezy, one-pot vegetarian comfort dish loaded with ground plant-based beef, hearty beans, and plenty off spice to curl your toes and knock your socks off. This dish finishes quick for weeknight cravings, or can slow-simmer on the stove, with a little TLC every so often, if you’re serving to folks on a couch-bound Sunday afternoon.
You can prep a huge batch for a week of cozy bowls, or repurpose leftovers into baked eggs, chili dogs, or a cheesy mac. 35 minutes and dinner is stirred and served.
Chilly Nights, Warm Chili
Joke’s on me, it’s still 80 degrees before dawn here.
Whenever I incorporate a beef product into a recipe, I always buy Impossible beef. You can use regular ground beef if you’d like – choose a lean variety.
Heat some oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Brown the beef for 8-10 minutes along with a chopped onion, smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, and a big hit of salt and pepper.
Swirl in a whole can of tomato paste, then pour in fire roasted tomatoes, three cans of beans, some broth, and my bold flavor trick for the best chili: a can of beer. I prefer a pilsner or Mexican lager, but use what you like, so long as it doesn’t boast a taste profile that’ll obviously clash. No key lime sour or razzmatazz IPAs, people.
Tip: Don’t like cooking with beer? Use an equal amount of broth instead.
Cover the chili and simmer gently for at least 10 minutes, stirring every so often. You can definitely let the chili hang out on the stovetop for longer. More simmer, more chance for the spices to marry. Keep the heat low and add more broth intermittently if the chili thickens too much.
Ladle your chili into big bowls and top with loads of whatever you like. I always do avocado and shredded cheese, some cilantro, and a dollop of Daisy (actually plain Greek yogurt), and I never stray too far from a crusty hunk of baguette or a bowl of tortilla chips for dunking.
Leftovers? Chili keeps great for up to a week in the fridge. Or, you can cool the batch completely, divide into airtight, freezer-safe bags or containers, and freeze for up to 3 months. Warm the frozen chili on the stovetop until bubbly and hot throughout. Add your toppings to individual servings when you’re ready to eat.
Bean swaps? I use pinto and cannellini beans, but red kidney beans and/or black beans are great alternatives. Absolutely nothing wrong with switching it up!
Root, root root for the BALL TEAM.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Chillin’ with chili:
Chipotle Queso White Bean Chili
Quick and Cozy Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili
Chipotle Pumpkin Enchilada Chili
gameday chili
Ingredients
- 1 lb vegetarian or regular ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp chipotle chili powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 2 cans fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 can tomato paste
- 1-2 cups vegetable broth
- 12 oz can beer of choice (lager, pilsner, etc.), or more broth
- 2 cans pinto beans, drained
- 1 can white beans, drained
- chopped cilantro, plain Greek yogurt/sour cream, avocado, and shredded cheddar cheese, to top
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Toss in the beef, onion, smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder, garlic powder, and cumin, as well as a large pinch each of salt and pepper. Crumble the beef with a wooden spoon and cook 8-10 minutes until browned.
- Scoop in the tomato paste and swirl until incorporated with the beef, then pour in the fire roasted tomatoes, beer, broth, and all of the beans. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If needed, add more broth to slow the chili's thickening. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Divide the chili into bowls and top with avocado, shredded cheese, cilantro, and/or Greek yogurt. Or, any other desired garnishes!
