The weather is finally changing in south Louisiana after a miserably warm Christmas and we’re enjoying some much cooler temperatures in this new year. Thank you Jesus! I love everything about the winter – the clothes, the crisp air, good hair days and the food. Well, we actually enjoy good food all year long in Louisiana but I especially like the comfort food that usually is accompanied with the colder months. Over the New Year holiday weekend, I recently experimented with a chili recipe I received from a friend. I will admit, I shied away from chili in the past because I wasn’t a huge bean lover. Over the years, I finally acquired a taste for beans and my husband is extremely happy I’ve come on over to the bean side!

This Rockin’ Chili has lots of goodies for everyone – beans, beef and pork sausage. I sent a HUGE portion with my husband on his yearly hunting trip in Concordia Parish and the men finished it off in one night! That’s success in my book, especially since it was my very first time making chili. Enough gabbing, here’s the knitty gritty of the Rockin’ Chili:

ROCKIN’ CHILI:

4 tbsp vegetable oil

2 cups chopped seasoning vegetables (bell pepper, green onion, white onion, minced garlic, parsley, etc.)

3 lbs ground chuck

3 lbs pork sausage (hint: if you have access to smoked deer sausage, use that as a substitute)

2 cans (28 oz) diced tomatoes with green chilis – undrained (used Mild Rotel)

1 can tomato sauce

8 tbsp chili powder

3 tbsp ground cumin (or 1 tbsp cumin seed)

2 tbsp oregano

1 tbsp salt (I also added Slap Your Mama for more flavor)

1 tbsp white pepper

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp cocoa powder

2 cans undrained red beans (1 lb)

2 cans pinto beans (15 oz)

1 can kidney beans (15 oz)

1. Saute vegetables in oil until soft in large dutch oven [Note: I don’t have a large enough dutch oven and used a large stock pot].
2. Add beef and sausage [Note: To reduce grease, I cooked the meat in a separate skillet, strained the grease and add the meat to the stock pot once it was fully browned].
3. Add diced tomatoes with chilis (undrained), tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, sugar, cocoa powder and pinto beans.
4. Simmer for preferably 1 hour.
5. Add red beans (undrained) and kidney beans.
6. Cook 30 minutes.

*I garnish my chili with some cheddar cheese and also serve it with Jiffy cornbread. I decided to add 1/2 stick of butter to the cornbread mix this time. That was a very good decision – super yummy and melted in your mouth. You can also serve with Fritos.

No matter what you serve it with, you will enjoy this dish. Curl up on the sofa, watch some Netflix and enjoy!