Easy No-Bean Chili

Looking for a quick, easy chili recipe to make this weekend? Well, this is it. After you do a tiny bit of prep work and wait out a little more than an hour of simmering, you'll be serving up steaming bowls of hearty chili. This chili has no beans and is mildly spiced -- if you like heat, I recommend adding some hot chile peppers. I served it over rice and melted Monterey Jack on top.

Easy No-Bean Chili (adapted from Bon Appetit)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, diced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 Anaheim chile pepper, chopped
8 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
3 pounds ground chuck
5 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
Kosher salt and pepper
Cooked white rice (optional)
Shredded Monterey Jack (optional)

Preparation

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, bell pepper, Anaheim pepper, and garlic.

Sauté until onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. 

Add chuck and sauté until brown, breaking up meat with back of spoon, about 5 minutes. 

Meanwhile, mix chili powder, cumin, basil, oregano, and thyme together in small bowl.

Stir spices into meat mixture and cook 2 minutes.

Stir in crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, and tomato paste. Reduce heat to a simmer.

Simmer until thickened to desired consistency, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over white rice, top with Monterey Jack, and melt cheese under the broiler, if desired (make sure to use broiler-safe bowls).

And if you have leftover chili, I've got a great leftover idea for you, inspired by Kerstin's loaded sweet potato skins: chili-loaded potato skins! (This is just a basic guideline... I made two potatoes since there are only two of us, but you can easily make more.)

Poke holes in potatoes, and bake potatoes for 1 hour at 400 degrees.

When cool enough to handle, halve potatoes lengthwise and scoop out the middles.

Mix some olive oil and salt and pepper in a small bowl, and brush potatoes with the oil on all sides.

Return skins to oven and bake for 10 minutes.

Fill skins with warm chili, top with cheese, and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until heated through. If cheese isn't melty enough, heat skins under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes.

Top with sliced scallions.

How do you like your chili?