I have used this Chili recipe for many years now and have tweaked it over and over again. It is a simple recipe, but I have found that simple may sometimes be the best. I am not one who cares for overly spicy foods but that can be altered to one's liking. I do however like it more soup like as some prefer their chili thicker.
My Favorite Chili
2-3 Tablespoons of a good olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2-3 fresh garlic cloves, minced
1 1 1/2-pound ground round
1-2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2–28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
1- 30 ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Place olive oil in a 5-to-6-quart heavy Dutch oven, add onions and bell pepper and sauté until onions are opaque, about 5 minutes on medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for only a minute making sure the garlic does not burn. Add the ground round and cook until browned; add the chili powder, cumin, sugar, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Then add the crushed tomatoes, kidney beans and bay leaf. Mix thoroughly, bring to a boil and turn heat down to a simmer. Simmer for two hours stirring frequently. Cover with a lid but not completely covered tightly.
For toppings my favorites are grated cheddar cheese with a dollop of sour cream and sometimes chopped scallions, but the toppings list is endless, whatever you personally like.
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My Notes: When I add the two cans of tomatoes, I always put some water in the can about half full in each can for two reasons. I want to get every drop of the crushed tomatoes and as I mentioned I like my chili like a soup. This too can be altered to one's liking with adding more water if needed. I only use 1 Tablespoon of chili powder but only because I am not a huge fan of overly spicy foods. I use fresh bay leaf from my garden and when doing so I add two. If using dried bay leaf, one is sufficient.
Assembling one's ingredients ahead of time is essential.