It's still winter and still chilly. A warm bowl of chili sounds just right for supper. This hearty chili is a fusion of Mexican and Italian flavors, a little spicy and meaty. There's beef and Italian sausage represented, as well as cannelini and pinto beans. Feel free to substitute your favorite beans, black beans, chili beans, whatever you like. The toppings make this chili for me. I piled on chopped fresh tomatoes, avocado and cheese. And speaking of toppings, since there was plenty of chili for leftovers, make your own version of Cincinnati Chili by adding chili and toppings on spaghetti—a great way to change it up for leftover night.
MexItalian Chili
MEXITALIAN CHILI
Serves 8
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground Italian sausage
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 -2 Tbsp chili powder
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp ponzu sauce
1 Tbsp tomato paste
28 oz can tomato sauce
15 oz can each cannelini and pinto beans
1 cup beef stock or broth
salt and pepper to taste
quartered grape tomatoes, grated cheddar cheese and chopped avocado
1. Brown ground beef and sausage in a soup pot. When almost browned, add onion and garlic and saute until meat is all browned and onions softened. Add cumin, oregano and chili powder and toast the herbs, about 1 minute.
2. Add diced tomatoes, ponzu, tomato paste, tomato sauce, beans and stock. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down and simmer 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper.
3. To serve, add grape tomatoes, cheddar cheese and avocado to each bowl.
Pile on the toppings for fun custom-chili bowls.