15 BEAN BEEF CHILI

This recipe came from one of "my girls" and it is delicious! Tammy is one GREAT cook - she is her Mama's own girl!

15 Bean Chili Tammy Green Williamson

2 or 3 lbs ground chuck or whatever you prefer

3 large onions, cut and sliced thin

2 green peppers, diced (optional)

1 lb bag dried 15 bean soup (don’t be afraid of dried beans as the directions are below.

2 lg cans diced tomatoes, not drained (I used 2 cans Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes)

1 can spaghetti sauce

SPICES: You may want to lessen these ingredients or add more - suited to your taste.

1 tbsp garlic salt

1 tbsp seven pepper seasoning (or ground black pepper)

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp cumin

Optional topping for serving: Fiesta cheese and sour cream

THE BEANS: This has to be done the night before.

Dump the dry beans into a colander, rinse well. Put them into a large bowl and cover with 6-8 quarts of cold water. Let them set at least 8 hours, or overnight. The next day, about 4-6 hours before you want to eat dinner, drain and rinse the beans, dump into a pot, cover with 6 quarts of hot water, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2-½ hours, stirring frequently, covered with a lid that is tilted a bit. You can simmer 3 hours if they aren’t looking soft enough. Set the beans aside, off the burner, while you make the meat. Or you can start the meat 2 hours into the bean cooking.

Cook spices, ground beef, onions and peppers until the beef is no longer pink, onions are transparent and peppers are very, very soft. I cook it long past when the beef is done so the flavors can “marry”. Just keep it attended and stir a lot. Add the spaghetti sauce. The fat will rise to the edges, and you can dip it off with a spoon. That way, you don’t lose the spices. Add the tomatoes to the meat mixture with the spaghetti sauce and simmer for a least 15 minutes. I do it for 30 because the flavors infuse better and become bolder. Now dump meat mixture into the beans that have been cooking. DO NOT drain the water the beans have been cooking in. Add the meat right into it. Simmer covered for about 30 minutes, stirring often. You can even cook it about an hour. I think it tastes better cooked longer. ** (Note from Julia - I like dumping it all in the Crock Pot)

Serve in bowls topped with cheese and sour cream, if desired.