I've shared the simple bean chili before. (Which I admit came out a little darker than I'd intended due to my failure to add enough water to the slow cooker). It's fine as a basic meal. But if you have the tim and inclination to add just a few more spices, then you may be pleasantly surprised by the results!

This chili starts with a chili seasoning to give it a bit of depth and then adds the tomato sauce and beans.

If you're working from premade seasoning and sauce, then feel free to just dump everything in the pot and let it simmer for a while. However, if you're making it up entirely from scratch, cookng the alliums in a bit of butter or oil before carrying on with the rest of the recipe is an easy way to layer in even more flavour.

Fancy Bean Chili

Ingredients

• 1 pile of simple chili seasoning
• 1 jar of tomato sauce
• 2 c. cooked kidney beans
• 2 c. cooked black beans
• 1 1/2 c. water

Directions

1. Add everything to a pot or slow cooker and simmer on low for 6-8 hours.
2. Adjust seasonings to taste, top with grated cheese (if desired), and serve with buttered toast.

Fancy Bean Chili (from Scratch)

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. butter or oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 6-8 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 Tbsp. cumin seeds (grinding is optional)
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 tsp. sweet paprika
• 1 tsp. chili powder¹
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 800mL diced tomatoes
• 2-4 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 2 c. cooked kidney beans
• 2 c. cooked black beans
• 1 1/2 c. water

Directions

1. Melt the butter over medium heat.
2. Reduce heat slightly, add the onions and cook until softened (~3 minutes).
3. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two.
4. Add the cumin and sizzle for 30-60 seconds.
5. Remove from heat and add salt, paprika, chili powder, and sugar.
6. Return to heat and add tomatoes, basil, oregano, kidney beans, black beans, and water.
7. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for a least an hour or two (or 6-8 hours in the slow cooker on low).
8. Adjust seaoning to taste, top with grated cheese, and serve with buttered toast (if desired).

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¹ This will make a fairly mild chili. If you'd like a bit more heat to it, you may wish to add some ground cayenne, ground Kashmiri chilies, or an additional tsp. of chili powder. ^Back