Spicin' Things Up!

7 Spice Venison Chili

Oh yeah, these cooler days are calling for chili in our house. Our kids were so excited about the cooler weather that they came out from their bedrooms with coats, hats and mittens on the other day. No, I am not lying. I told them to go and change, but they said it was really "cold" outside. I let them go on out and play and sure enough thirty minutes later I found them stripping off the snow clothes and throwing them on the playground floor. Maybe not as cold as they thought, huh?!

Well, all we need is a slight nip in the air and out come the spices from the pantry and meat in the skillet. We all love chili around here, so I thought I would share how we spice it up here and maybe you can tell us what other spices your family has used and liked in the past for that great pot of chili!

By the way, for those of us who like to get technical about things, I am including herbs in this "spice" category. I know it is not correct, but we like the number seven around here and the herbs make a complete seven ingredient list for us. Thanks for understanding and Enjoy!

3 pounds of ground venison (beef works great, and for extra spice try a little ground sausage)
1 diced onion (we prefer Vidalia)
2 large cans of whole tomatoes (we try to use organic and the best is what we get to can ourselves)
2-3 cups of chicken or beef broth (we make our own and will give you that recipe another time!)
3-4 cups of kidney, pinto, or great northern beans (we soak dry beans for 7-8 hrs. and cook them)

This is where my exact ingredients go out the door. You just add a whole lot of these. Especially the first two. But, don't add a whole lot at one time. Go easy until you get it just like you like it. Some like it spicier than others. We like it really spicy, because we will add cheese and sour cream as toppings and eat it with homemade cornbread (I will give you that recipe another time as well!).

The Spices (ok, spices and herbs)
Cumin
Chili powder
Cayenne
Garlic powder
Basil
Oregano
Thyme

Brown the meat and onion at the same time in a large skillet. I always season my meat with salt and pepper during this process. Drain and rinse if you like. Puree two cans of tomatoes and then pour into large stockpot along with broth and beans. Add the meat and onion. This is where you just shake and shake and taste and taste. Let all of this simmer for a couple hours until juice begins to thicken and flavors begin to incorporate into the perfect chili for "cold" fall days, like today!

Oh, and please don't forget to add salt and pepper as needed. Yes, I know that brings the number to nine. Oh well.

Love ya'll,

Nichole