Three Meat/Three Bean Chili

Tonight’s recipe is a close approximation to the party favorite chili I make for events. While I have claimed I would never share this recipe when requested for it in the past, I just cannot be that selfish. This variant is a small batch version of the original; primarily only missing bell peppers and onions from the recipe. The secret ingredient is the enchilada sauce – which jump starts the chili flavors without having to roast and re-hydrate dried peppers, etc. So the secret ingredient makes this dish a quick cooking chili as well. The beauty of using enchilada sauce is that you can control the initial heat level by the type of red enchilada sauce used. I selected a milder sauce tonight to allow the other flavors to intermingle with the chilis. Typically I pair this dish with cornbread waffles (simply made from the Jiffy cornbread mix) which never ceases to please the crowd at an event. So go ahead and jump on in, this chili is perfect for these colder Autumn evenings!

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Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 45 mins

Total time: 55 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef, ground lamb, and ground pork mix OR any combination desired
2 tsp vegetable oil
½ can pinto beans, rinsed and drained (approximately 5 oz)
½ can kidney beans, rinsed and drained (approximately 5 oz)
½ can black beans, rinsed and drained (approximately 5 oz)
10 oz can of red enchilada sauce
½ can diced tomatoes (approximately 7 oz)
1 tsp garlic, minced
2 tsp chili powder
½ tsp oregano
½ tsp cilantro
1 tsp cumin
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup tequila (optional)
zest and juice from ½ lime

Garnish

diced jalapeno
sour cream
shredded Mexican blend cheese

Instructions

Heat a large saucepan over Medium-High heat.
Add vegetable oil and when shimmering, add the ground meat.
Salt and pepper the meat while cooking.
Brown the ground meat until no longer pink, approximately 4 - 5 minutes.
Add the spices and garlic, cooking for 2 minutes until fragrant.
Add the tomatoes and enchilada sauce, stirring to combine.
Reduce the heat to Medium-Low.
If using, add the tequila and stir to combine.
Add the beans and gently stir to combine.
Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or more.
Just prior to serving, stir in the lime zest and lime juice.
Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, and diced jalapenos accompanied by cornbread waffles