Making a big pot of hearty and delicious chili is an easy way to feed hungry football fans. This chili is super easy thanks to using bloody mary mix. It doesn’t have a laundry list of ingredients, and with minimal chopping of ingredients comes together in under an hour. You can use any variety bloody mary mix, but I like to use a spicy version for a little kick.
With the beef, go for ground if you’re in a hurry. But if you have a little time, use a whole cut of beef and cut it into a small dice. One of my favorites is flat iron steak, but any beef will do. A favorite tip for cutting the beef easily is to freeze it first for 20 minutes before slicing.
Bloody Mary Beef Chili
Makes: 8 cups
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 large onion, peeled, chopped
1 1/2 pounds ground beef (such as sirloin) or any diced beef
2 cups favorite bloody mary mix (spicy preferred)
2 cans (14 oz. each) diced tomatoes with green chilies (or 28-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice)
2 cans (14 oz. each) kidney beans, drained and rinsed well
4 Tbsp. (or more if you like) favorite chili powder, divided
Corn chips
Shredded cheese
Sliced green onions
Sour cream
In a medium pot, heat the oil. Add the onion and sauté about 8 minutes until it becomes lightly golden brown. Add the beef and cook until it browns, breaking it up as it cooks. Stir in the bloody Mary mix and heat on medium-high, stirring and scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
Add the tomatoes, beans and 2 tablespoons of the chili powder. Stir well. Bring to just a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover slightly and simmer 30 minutes.
Just before serving, stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of chili powder. Serve with desired toppings.
From and tested by Susan M. Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.
Analysis based on regular canned diced tomatoes and using lean ground beef.
366 calories (32 percent from fat), 13 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 31 g carbohydrates, 32 g protein, 647 mg sodium, 72 mg cholesterol, 9 g fiber.
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