Chili Con Carne

Chili has got to be my families favorite dish! It is so easy and warms everyone up on those cold winter nights! With this dish I have the basic recipe, but I also love to add my own variations. The other great thing about this dish is that you can either just throw it together on the stove or mix it into your slow-cooker. This comes in handy for those potluck dinners or those busy days where you want to come home and just eat a scrumptious dinner! So try it out and let me know how you like it!

2 pounds ground beef
2 tablespoons shortening (or you can just use oil)
2 cups chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 Tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (add more for a hotter chili)
1/2 cup beef broth
1-28 oz can tomatoes (I like to use whole or diced as it adds to the texture)
3- 16 oz cans red kidney beans

Heat shortening in skillet and brown beef, discard fat. Combine all ingredients, stir well and cook till heated through.

For slow-cooker, cook on low 8-10 hours, on high 5 hours or on automatic 6 hours.

Garnish:
Sprinkle cheddar, mozzarella or parmesan cheese over top (or try all three).

Serve with bread or tortilla chips! Enjoy!


Variation Ideas:
(These are different things that my family has tried in the chili that we felt added to it. So here are the chili supreme ideas!)
green peepers
green chilies
bacon (cook this before the ground beef and then use the fat from the bacon to brown the ground beef)
1 can pork and beans

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