No, it doesn’t feel like chili weather today. But soon enough, you will want to walk in the door to a large warm bowl of something delicious and with the reopening of Verona’s public schools just six days away, “soon” will come sooner than you think. (Our Lady of the Lake goes back on Thursday.)
MyVeronaNJ.com’s food writer Tracy Bermeo first published this recipe in time for the 2012 Super Bowl playoffs. The Giants won, and went on to win the Super Bowl as well. If you’re the superstitious sort, you can invoke that track record and make this chili any time any Verona team has a key game.
As Tracy noted the first time we published this recipe, it smells amazing while cooking. If you like your chili on the spicy side, Tracy suggests swapping the jalapeño peppers for habanero.
Slow Cooker Spicy Sweet Chili (serves 6-8)
Ingredients
2 pounds 93% lean ground beef
2 cans of creamed corn
2 10-ounce cans of diced tomatoes (one drained, one not)
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (heaping)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 12-ounce bottle of chocolate-flavored beer (I used Sam Adams Chocolate Bock)
1/2 cup bottled barbecue sauce
What’s Next
Measure and set out garlic, peppers, and spices in small bowls. Trust me, it’s easier.
In a large pot or Dutch oven brown meat. Transfer to slow cooker leaving fat in pot. (There shouldn’t be much if you used the lean ground beef)
Add spices, peppers and garlic and cook for five minutes in pan drippings from beef.
Add to slow cooker with meat.
Add beer, tomatoes, creamed corn and barbecue sauce. Stir to combine.
Cover and cook on high 4-5 hours.
Notes from my experience:
I had a hard time initially not using either onions, green peppers or beans in this recipe. I almost caved at one point and added them, but then decided to stick to the plan. I’m glad I did.
I made the mistake of putting shredded Cheddar cheese on my chili. I’m so used to it, and I love cheese on food, that it was almost instinctive. The flavors did not go well. If you really want cheese, I think it needs a milder cheese like Monterey Jack or mozzarella. If you try either of those, let me know how it goes.
