This chili con carne is my version of a chili. You will find more original recipes out there. But this is the way I like it. Years ago I started out with the recipe my mom used, not spicy at all. Through the years my version became more spicy, more smokey and got more colors and beans. And one thing is for sure, we never had any toppings on my moms chili.

Serves 8-10.

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef
2 onions, chopped
olive oil
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 can tomato paste
4 cans (15 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can chipotle in adobo sauce, chop the chipotles, use less if you do not like it spicy
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, I use Valrhona
4-6 bell peppers, bite-sized diced
6 cans beans, rinsed, I used black beans white beans, and red kidney beans
salt & pepper

Toppings:

sour cream
jalapeno, sliced
scallions, sliced
cheddar cheese
cilantro

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large pot. I use my large slow cooker, where the insert goes on the stovetop. Sauté the onions until they are golden brown. Take the onions out and into a little bowl.

Add a little more oil to the pot and brown the ground beef, crumbling the meat with a wooden spoon. Try not to stir it to much, the more you move the meat around, the more you cool down the pan. And you want the meat to get some searing and color. When the meat is browned, add the tomato paste, letting it get some heat, to get a sweeter and deeper tomato flavor. Then add the garlic, onions, diced tomatoes, cocoa and the chipotle with the sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
Here you can add more spices like paprika, cayenne, cumin or chili powder. Before I fell in love with chipotle, I used fresh jalapeños and some smoked paprika in my chilies.
Let the chili cook covered at a low simmer for 2-4 hours, stirring occasionally. I set my slow cooker to 8 hours on low.

After 2-4 hours, (6 hours in slow cooker), add the bell peppers and after another 30 minutes add the rinsed beans, and let it simmer for yet another 30 minutes, before it is ready for the final seasoning and serving.

Serve the chili with toppings to your likings and a few slices of good baguette.

Enjoy!