Comforting Chili

This chili recipe is perfect for cold winter days, rainy monsoons, or a comforting night at home. I grew up eating this recipe and still love it today. It originally came from my Grandma Bauer, but over the years my mom and I have adjusted it to our personal tastes. It is packed with tons of beans and with the help of V-8 juice lots of vegetables too! A perfect way to get your daily value of vegetables in one delicious soup.

1-2 lbs ground beef; 90% lean, 10% fat, if you like a lot of beef in your chili use closer to 2 lbs.

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 heaping tbs. all-purpose flour

3 tbs. chili powder

1/4 tsp. crushed red chili flakes

1/2 tsp cumin 

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 15oz. can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 15 oz. can light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 15 oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 (64 oz) bottle V-8 Original juice, low-sodium

Optional toppings-Shredded Cheddar Cheese, chopped scallions, sour cream, tortilla chips, Fritos corn chips, hot sauce

In a large stock pot, over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and soften the onion. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Once the beef has browned, drain any fat from the pot. (Depending on the meat you purchase, there may not be that much fat to drain.) 

Turn the heat to low and add the 3 heaping tablespoons of flour. Stir to combine and cook for about 3 minutes, this will ensure that your chili does not have a raw flour flavor. Next add the chili powder, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine and cook an additional 2 minutes. 

Pour the V-8 juice and beans into the pot. Turn the heat back up to medium-high and bring the chili to a boil. Taste the chili and add additional salt and pepper if needed. Once the chili boils, turn the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered for 1 hour. 

Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy!