Chili à la Jonni

I love to cook and my favorite dishes are anything with sauce. (Extra sauce, please!)  Comfort foods, including this Chili à la Jonni, top my list. I also tend to enjoy a “gourmet” pallet…red wine, good cheese, lots of exotic herbs and spices. 

My childhood comfort foods were typically things I could heat up quickly from a jar.  As I became more adept at cooking, I started creating my own recipes of my favorite foods.  Beef stew became Beef Bourguignon; a homemade pasta sauce replaced canned. 

As a working mom, I loved foods I could cook on the weekend and reheat during the week, or freeze for another time.  I tried lots of different homemade chili recipes, but none had the rich, thick, texture that I love. 

So, one rainy Saturday, I spent all afternoon stirring and tasting.  My original “secret” recipe has all of my favorite (and some surprising) flavors and an excellent texture if allowed to cook for a long time.

I love my chili served over cooked spaghetti or macaroni, and topped with cheese. Or try it over corn chips, as my brother likes it. I love serving chili for parties. You can put out lots of different condiments and let people create their own favorite meal.

Chili à la Jonni

Preparation time: 15-20 minutes

Cooking time: I cook mine for several hours to get it thick, but you can eat it as soon as it's heated through.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 10

Ingredients

  

List of ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp Butter, Olive Oil, or combination of both
• 1 Large Onion chopped
• 1½ cloves Garlic minced
• 2 lbs. Lean ground beef I use ground sirloin
• 3 14 oz cans Beans Any combination of black, kidney, pinto, or small white beans
• 1 14oz can Diced Tomatoes in puree
• 1 6 1/2 oz can Tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp Sun-dried tomato halves in oil chopped*
• 1 14 oz can Black olives crumbled between your fingers into the pot
• 1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
• ¼ Cup Red Wine
• 1 Tbsp Basil dried, or 3 Tbsp fresh, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp Oregano dried, or 3 Tbsp fresh, finely chopped
• ½ Bay Leaf
• 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice Fresh only. Don't ever use bottled for anything. Seriously, it's yucky.
• 4 Tbsp Chili Powder
• 10 drops Tabasco pepper sauce or to taste if you like it spicy
• ½ tsp Cayenne or to taste
• ¼ tsp Dill dried, or 3/4 tsp fresh
• 1 tsp Salt or to taste (I cook with kosher salt)

Instructions

 

• Directions: In a large pot, sauté onion and garlic in butter until tender. Add beef and cook until well done. Add all other ingredients and cook on low for several hours, stirring occasionally. The longer it cooks, the thicker it gets. It can be eaten as soon as the ingredients are combined and heated through, but the flavor is best after a nice long simmer.
• Serve alone or over cooked pasta, topped with cheddar cheese, sour cream, and onions if desired.

Notes

*Sun-dried tomatoes can be found in your produce section, already chopped and packed in oil. They’re good to keep on hand for cooking.  Once the tomatoes are gone, use the oil in your favorite vinaigrette or marinade.

Try my favorite left-overs idea:  Spread the leftover chili into a baking dish, and top with your favorite ready made corn bread batter.  (I use Marie Calendar’s mix because I like the sweet with the savory, but you might like a different mix or your own scratch recipe. And yes, I do normally cook entirely from scratch, but corn bread isn’t my normal baking jam. Also, I like that this is a quick weeknight meal.) 

Bake for the amount of time called for in the cornbread directions.  Cut into squares, top with grated cheddar cheese, and serve.  Yummy! 

Kids especially love this variation, even my picky daughter loved this when she was a kid, and she doesn’t let any of her foods touch on her plate.

If you liked Chili à la Jonni, try my Taco Seasoning and Chili Mac recipes, here!