Christmas Chili (Chili con Carne)

Chili con Carne Recipe by Steve Woodman

Yet another family tradition that stretches back to Chubby’s day was to have the kids come down to the Restaurant for breakfast on Christmas morning while “Gramp” cooked “braaakfast.” Deck did the same, making French toast from hot dog rolls. These days everyone has their own Christmas tradition, including Steve and Rhonda, whose children and grandchildren look forward to fried dough, Christmas tenderloin, and this Yuletide variation of an American frontier dish called chili con carne.

Chili con Carne Ingredients

1 pound steak tips

½ pound ground beef

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

1 medium onion

3 28-ounce cans of crushed tomatoes

1 28-ounce can cooked kidney beans

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

How to Make Chili con Carne

Core and cut pepper into bite-sized pieces. Peel and finely dice the onion. Cut the steak tips into bite-sized pieces. Salt the bottom of the fry pan and then heat and brown the steak tips, adding ¼ tablespoon of cayenne pepper and ¼ tablespoon of chili powder to lightly pepper the tips while browning. When browned, place in a stock pot. Repeat the same process with the ground beef, and add to the stockpot. Sauté the peppers in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, seasoning with cayenne pepper and ¼ tablespoon of chili powder. Lightly salt and pepper. When the peppers start getting soft (but still have a crunch) place in the stock pot with the meat. Sauté the onion in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add remaining ½ tablespoon of cayenne pepper and the chili powder. Lightly salt and pepper. Sauté until translucent and then place in stockpot with the meat. Add the 3 cans of crushed tomatoes to the pot. Add the can of cooked kidney beans, and simmer for one hour. Taste and add more spices as needed. Serves 6 to 8.

Recipe Notes: This makes a large batch of chili (about three gallons), which we often serve for our Christmasopen house. It’s also great for a large gathering any time of year.

After serving up and enjoying your chili con carne, check out our new cookbook for dessert recipes and more!