Chili - No Two Alike

My TV dinner

No matter where I go the chili is always different. I don't think I have come across any two families that use the same recipe for chili. Not even within my own family. Chili is a very personal food. Some like it fiery hot, some need a more wimpy version. There are regional preferences as well. Texas chili is not for me. At least not the version I witnessed being made. There were NO beans and enough spices in one batch to last me two years! Well maybe not that long but it sure seemed like it.

Me, I like my chili as wimpy as it gets! Mikey on the other hand needs the heat turned up. Chili is also a pretty simple food to make but I have to make two pots because neither one of us can tolerate the other's version of "good" chili . My recipe is really just a base that I build Mikey's chili on. I'll go through mine first since it's so easy then follow with Mikey's version.

1/4 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon dried onion flake
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 can mild chili beans
1 can tomato soup
1/2 can tomato sauce

Brown the ground beef with the onion flake, salt and pepper.
Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for at least 15 minutes. The flavor gets better the longer it simmers.
Mine is that easy and that simple. But I absolutely love it. Sometimes I also like a thinner chili so I'll have an excuse to load it with the saltine crackers I love so much. To make it thinner and more "soup-like" I just add more tomato sauce.

For Mikey's:

3/4 pound ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
2 cans diced tomatoes (Don't drain, the juice is good!) (or 4-6 whole tomatoes diced)
2 cans chili beans
2 tablespoon chili powder
15 dashes Tobasco sauce (Yes, 15)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or one whole fresh or dried)
1/2 can tomato sauce (or a whole can-this is what is left after making mine)
5-10 jalepeno peppers or more if you like

The chili is made just like mine above with the addition of the spices and peppers.
I used some of the dehydrated jalepeno's from my garden. I thought I had used enough but Mikey added several more whole ones and some cherry tomatos when I had my back turned...

Mikey decided he wanted chili-mac, although when I dished this up he said there was way too much "mac" but we took a picture anyway. Next time he can get off his lazy butt and fix it himself!

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