Beef And Brat Chili With White Beans

Name: Beef and Brat Chili With White Beans
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 45 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 pound trimmed beef chuck, cut into 1-inch pieces; 3 tablespoon vegetable oil; 1 large (or 2 medium) sweet onions, chopped; 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste; 6 cloves garlic; 1/4 cup chili powder; 1/4 cup ancho chili powder (half of a 1.2 ounce jar); 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon salt; 3 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes; 1 and 1/2 cups beef, chicken or vegetable broth; 2 small red bell peppers, cored, diced; 8 -10 ounces cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced (optional); 4 cup cooked dried white beans or drained canned white kidney beans; 2 pound fully cooked bratwurst sausages (or kielbasa, thuringer or andouille chicken sausage); chili garnishes: crumbled tortilla chips, oyster crackers, shredded cheese, sour cream or plain greek yogurt, chopped cilantro, green onions

JeanMarie Brownson|Feb. 6, 2021 2:44 pm EST

4.5 (2 ratings)

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White beans and bratwurst add a hearty punch to this savory beef chili. This recipe serves 10-12, but can easily be cut in half if you're cooking for a smaller crowd.This recipe is by JeanMarie Brownson and originally appeared in the Chicago Tribune.

Prep Time

45

minutes

Cook Time

2

hours

Servings

12

Total time: 2 hours, 45 minutes

Ingredients

3 pound trimmed beef chuck, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large (or 2 medium) sweet onions, chopped
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
6 cloves garlic
1/4 cup chili powder
1/4 cup ancho chili powder (half of a 1.2 ounce jar)
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
3 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes
1 and 1/2 cups beef, chicken or vegetable broth
2 small red bell peppers, cored, diced
8 -10 ounces cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced (optional)
4 cup cooked dried white beans or drained canned white kidney beans
2 pound fully cooked bratwurst sausages (or kielbasa, thuringer or andouille chicken sausage)
chili garnishes: crumbled tortilla chips, oyster crackers, shredded cheese, sour cream or plain greek yogurt, chopped cilantro, green onions

Directions

Step 1: Heat oven to 325 F. Pat beef dry. In the bottom of a large (7-quart) Dutch oven or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Working in batches, brown the beef in oil until golden on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove to a large plate. Repeat to brown all beef, adding oil as needed.
Step 2: In the Dutch oven or skillet, add 1 large (or 2 medium) chopped sweet onions to the pan drippings. Cook and stir until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in 6 ounces of tomato paste, 6 cloves of garlic, 1/4 cup chili powder, 1/4 cup ancho chili powder, 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon cumin and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook for 1 minute.
Step 3: If using a Dutch oven, stir the beef into the onion mixture. If using a large (7 quart) slow cooker, scrape the onion mixture into it along with the beef. Into the Dutch oven or slow cooker, stir in 3 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes, 1 and 1/2 cups broth, 2 small diced red bell peppers and 8-10 ounces of sliced cremini mushrooms (optional).
Step 4: Cover the Dutch oven and cook in the oven until beef is fork-tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Alternatively, slow-cook on low for 4 hours. (Chili base can be made up to 3 days in advance; refrigerate covered.)
Step 5: About 30 minutes before serving, reheat the chili base. If using cooked dried beans (4 cups), add them now and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Step 6: Slice 2 pounds of fully cooked bratwurst into ¼-inch thick slices. Stir into the chili (along with the 4 cups of canned beans if using them instead of using the cooked dried beans). Heat through, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt to taste.
Step 7: Set out chili garnishes in serving bowls. Serve chili hot, topped with desired garnishes.