Bob's Little-Known, Less-Cared-About Chili

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 80 min
Servings: 6
Yield: 6 servings

Description

Bob's beef chili with bacon is savory, smoky, and easy to make. Serve with cornbread muffins on the side for a meal that will satisfy the whole family.

Ingredients

1 large yellow onion, chopped
1/2 pound thick-cut bacon, chopped
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 cups water
3 (15 1/2 ounce) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chili powder
1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 dash hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco®), or to taste

Directions

1 Cook onion and bacon together in a large pot over medium heat until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add ground beef, garlic, and cumin; cook and stir until beef is completely browned, 7 to 10 minutes.
2 Stir in water, kidney beans, diced tomatoes, chili powder, liquid smoke, salt, black pepper, and hot pepper sauce; bring to a simmer and cook until thick, about 1 hour. Skim excess grease if desired.