All American Chili

What could be more American than a big pot of homemade chili, college football, and fresh baked apple pie? This was my family's event just a week ago. It's our tradition, actually, to spend a fall Saturday morning at the apple orchard, then spend the afternoon making chili, watching OU football, and baking an apple pie with our apples from the orchard. The day was perfect (crisp and sunny weather, the chili turned out just right, OU won their football game, and the apple pie... to die for! I will be posting that recipe very soon). Over our seven years of marriage, apple orchard day has become one of our favorite traditions.

Now I've been making chili for years, but I never really follow any one recipe, and always change up a thing or two from my last batch, so it always turns out slightly different. My husband jokes that if he really likes a particular batch of chili, he'd better really enjoy it because I may never make it that same way again! Well, I disciplined myself to take copious notes while making this batch, in the event that it turned out really good, I could then post the recipe and have documented exactly what I did to get it to turn out so good. And this batch is definitely post-worthy (all of my taste-testers agreed!).

So if you don't have a chili/football/apple orchard/apple pie tradition, maybe this will be your year to start? Either way, this chili is bound to be a great backdrop to a perfect fall day.

All American Chili

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
1 1/2 lbs grass fed ground beef
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons chile powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon cinnamon
salt, pepper
2 1/2 cups chicken or beef broth
2 1/2 cups water
1 16 oz. can diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon molasses (optional)
1 cup each (3 cups cooked total): white, garbanzo, and red beans
hot sauce (optional)

Heat coconut oil in large stockpot over medium heat. Chop onion and garlic and add to pan. Cook 3-5 minutes until translucent. Add ground beef and brown, breaking up the meat with a spatula. Next add seasonings (cumin through salt and pepper) and stir to combine with meat mixture. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients (broth through beans) and stir until completely incorporated. Bring to a boil, then simmer over medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes. Ladle into bowls and top with hot sauce if you choose (I purposely made this recipe very low on the spicy heat scale as I have three year old to feed, but hubby and I love our spice, so we just add it on the top).

Makes one big heck-of-a-pot of chili! Uff dah!