Epic Chili Bar
User Reviews
0.0
-
Prep Time
40 mins
-
Cook Time
10 hrs
-
Total Time
10 hrs 40 mins
-
Servings
10 + servings
-
Calories
399 kcal
-
Course
Main Course
-
Cuisine
American
Epic Chili Bar
Spice up your next gathering with the ultimate comfort food station: a DIY chili bar. This fun and interactive party experience allows guests to customize their own bowl of hearty chili with various delicious toppings and sides.
Ingredients
For the chili
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus more, if required.
- 2 links fresh Chorizo. removed from casings
- 3/4 pounds venison stew meat
- 1 1/4 pounds ground beef use 80% ground chuck
- 2 cups onion chopped
- 6-8 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp pickled jalapenos or 1 small fresh jalapeno chili minced
- 1/2 can (7 oz.) chipotle in adobo - chopped
- 1 can black beans, drained (substitute any beans you have on hand)
- 1 can dark red kidney beans, drained
- 1 can black eyed peas, drained
- 14 cups crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried coriander
- 2 teaspoon oregano, dried
- 1 tablespoon salt use our spicy salt for an added kick
- 1 tablespoon pepper
- 1/2 cup corn meal add more for a thicker chili
For the chili bar
- guacamole
- tomatoes
- sliced or diced hot peppers
- cornbread
- corn chips
- sour cream
- cheese see notes below for a full list of possibilities
Instructions
- Brown chorizo in a large heavy bottom frying pan with olive oil over medium high heat.. Break up and stir chotizo until nicely browned. Remove to Crockpot.
- Add more olive oil, if pan seems dry.
- Brown beef in the same pan, until nicely browned. Again, remove to slow cooker.
- Brown venison in the same pan. Turning to brown on all sides. Remove to slow cooker or Dutch oven when browned.
- Turn heat down to medium low heat. Sauté onion until translucent.
- Add garlic and sauté for a few more minutes.
- Add jalapeños, chipotles and a few cups of tomatoes.
- Let the tomatoes loosen the fond (the brown stuff) from the bottom of the pan. It should take 5 to 10 minutes on medium heat, Scrape all of the fond off the bottom of the pan.
- Meanwhile, add the rest of the tomatoes and all the spices to the slow cooker.
- When the bottom of the Dutch oven is clean, transfer all of the ingredients to the slow cooker. Add drained and rinsed beans.
- Heat the chili on high until the mixture comes to a low bubble, then reduce heat to low. Cook for a few hours on low, then cool to room temperature and refrigerate overnight. This is an important step. If you have to have it for dinner the same night, it won't be as good!
- The next morning scrape off the excess accumulated fat off the top and discard. Return to slow cooker for about an hour until the chili comes to a slow boil.
- Reduce heat to low and cook for another 5 hours or more. 8 hours won't hurt it.
- About 1/2 hour before serving, remove lid and stir in corn meal.
- Serve hot with cornbread and a side salad, if desired.
For the chili bar
- Make the guacamole, if using.
- Make the cornbread. Let it cool when it's done and cut it into squares.
- Meanwhile, chop your choice of vegetables and add them to small bowls.
- Add dippers like corn chips to small bowls. Spoon the sour cream in a separate bowl.
- Grate cheddar or queso fresco. Place that in a ramekin.
Notes
- Cooling the chili overnight makes it so much better! There is no comparison to chili that has been cooked one day.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for 3-4 days.
- Reheat in the microwave or, covered, in a large pot until hot.
- For longer storage, freeze for up to 6 months.
- Thaw in refrigerator. Reheat per the above instructions.
- Perfect garnishes for the chili bar:
Guacamole: Use homemade or store-bought guacamole or sliced avocado. Spicy Peppers: Dice or slice fresh chili peppers, like;
Jalapeño: Jalapeños are most often fairly spicy, so you will want to dice them finely. Serrano: These peppers are generally a bit more mild compared to jalapeños. Slice them crosswise or dice them. Crushed Red Peppers: Add a small bowl with dried, crushed red pepper flakes for those who like it extra spicy.
Tomatoes: Fresh tomatoes are delicious on chili. Either buy cherry or grape tomatoes or dice a large tomato. Cucumber: Sliced mini cucumbers will add some fresh crunch and will mitigate some of the spicy heat from the chili or the toppings. Onions: Sliced scallions (green onions) or diced white or red onions are all delicious with chili. Radishes: Thinly slice radishes or use store-bought or homemade pickled radishes to sprinkle on the chili. Corn: Premium-quality canned corn is delicious when sprinkled on chili.
Cheeses: Serve at least two different cheeses. Good choices are queso fresco or cotija and mild or sharp cheddar cheese.
- Guacamole: Use homemade or store-bought guacamole or sliced avocado.
Spicy Peppers: Dice or slice fresh chili peppers, like;
Jalapeño: Jalapeños are most often fairly spicy, so you will want to dice them finely. Serrano: These peppers are generally a bit more mild compared to jalapeños. Slice them crosswise or dice them. Crushed Red Peppers: Add a small bowl with dried, crushed red pepper flakes for those who like it extra spicy.
- Jalapeño: Jalapeños are most often fairly spicy, so you will want to dice them finely.
- Serrano: These peppers are generally a bit more mild compared to jalapeños. Slice them crosswise or dice them.
- Crushed Red Peppers: Add a small bowl with dried, crushed red pepper flakes for those who like it extra spicy.
- Tomatoes: Fresh tomatoes are delicious on chili. Either buy cherry or grape tomatoes or dice a large tomato.
- Cucumber: Sliced mini cucumbers will add some fresh crunch and will mitigate some of the spicy heat from the chili or the toppings.
- Onions: Sliced scallions (green onions) or diced white or red onions are all delicious with chili.
- Radishes: Thinly slice radishes or use store-bought or homemade pickled radishes to sprinkle on the chili.
- Corn: Premium-quality canned corn is delicious when sprinkled on chili.
- Cheeses: Serve at least two different cheeses. Good choices are queso fresco or cotija and mild or sharp cheddar cheese.
Dippers: Choose different things to dip into the chili.
Chips: A crunchy dipping chip, like Fritos or tortilla chips. Cornbread: In our house, cornbread is an essential side for chili. Potatoes: You could use French fries, tater tots, or even baked potato or baked sweet potato. Hot dogs and buns: If some of your guests are fans of chili dogs, these are fun to add. Grilled cheese sandwiches: Diagonally cut a sandwich into four pieces for a nice presentation.
- Chips: A crunchy dipping chip, like Fritos or tortilla chips.
- Cornbread: In our house, cornbread is an essential side for chili.
- Potatoes: You could use French fries, tater tots, or even baked potato or baked sweet potato.
- Hot dogs and buns: If some of your guests are fans of chili dogs, these are fun to add.
- Grilled cheese sandwiches: Diagonally cut a sandwich into four pieces for a nice presentation.
Toppers:
Salsas: Use different flavors and textured salsas on your bar. We used roasted corn with black beans, and chipotle salsa. Other flavors that would be great are roasted garlic and peach salsa. Fresh chopped herbs: These will add a lovely herbaceous note to a bowl of chili. Fresh cilantro or parsley are good choices.
Lime wedges: Lime will add a little acid to cut through the other heavy flavors. Hot Sauces: A couple of different varieties of hot sauce are great for some variation. Sour cream: Use regular dairy sour cream or Mexican creme.
- Salsas: Use different flavors and textured salsas on your bar. We used roasted corn with black beans, and chipotle salsa. Other flavors that would be great are roasted garlic and peach salsa.
- Fresh chopped herbs: These will add a lovely herbaceous note to a bowl of chili. Fresh cilantro or parsley are good choices.
- Lime wedges: Lime will add a little acid to cut through the other heavy flavors.
- Hot Sauces: A couple of different varieties of hot sauce are great for some variation.
- Sour cream: Use regular dairy sour cream or Mexican creme.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 10+ servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 399 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 399kcal | 20% |
| Carbohydrates | 43g | 14% |
| Protein | 26g | 52% |
| Fat | 15g | 23% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Cholesterol | 69mg | 23% |
| Sodium | 1360mg | 57% |
| Potassium | 1464mg | 31% |
| Fiber | 11g | 44% |
| Sugar | 17g | 34% |
| Vitamin A | 1495IU | 30% |
| Vitamin C | 35.2mg | 39% |
| Calcium | 161mg | 16% |
| Iron | 8.5mg | 47% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
0.0
You'll Also Love
