February 25, 2024 68 Comments
What’s the key to great tasting chili? (cocoa powder) Many would suggest that you add a lot of meat and sausage to make it delicious….
I believed in meat until I attended a chili cook-off at a friend’s house. Of course, he was sure he was the winner, until I tasted the host’s chili. Something was different in his recipe and he couldn’t figure out what.
Their chili won (argh) and I was baffled. I kept after him (calling him, knocking on his door, sending emails) and he FINALLY told me the secret. Cocoa powder.
Yes, a depth of flavor was achieved by adding unsweetened cocoa powder found in the baking section of the supermarket. The cocoa powder gives the chili a richness that makes POUNDS of meat unnecessary.
Since my family is trying to save money and eat less meat (my daughter went vegetarian), I decided to cut the ground beef I add to my chili in half and add more beans. I was surprised to find that no one noticed!
Some of my favorite vegetarian dishes are my cauliflower and potato curry and my vegetarian black bean soup recipe.
This chili includes thirty-four percent of your daily value for iron and 13% of your daily value for calcium. You can store all the ingredients in your pantry except the ground beef (which you can store in your freezer).
This is my dinner that I will make at the end of the week after not having a moment to go to the supermarket. It’s cheap, fast, delicious and great for a crowd.
We will eat it over rice, pasta, with tortillas or simply. You can add fresh salsa, avocados, a tablespoon of natural yogurt or anything else you can think of to mix it up.
What’s your favorite addition to chili recipe?
Chili Recipe with Cocoa Powder
(serves 8)
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Ingredients
1 pound ground beef (80% lean)
3- to 15-ounce cans of different beans (black, red, white, pinto, etc.), drained and rinsed
1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes
4 tablespoons good quality chili powder
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cumin
salt to taste
hot sauce (optional)
Instructions
Brown ground beef in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. When the meat is browned, drain the fat. Pour the tomatoes with their juice, the beans and add the spices. Heat over low heat and test for salt. Cook for about 10 minutes on low heat and serve!
nutritional information
For one serving (about 1 cup): 228 calories, 4.4 grams fat, 1.7 grams saturated fat, 21.2 grams carbohydrates, 3.8 grams sugar, 24.2 grams protein, 7.4 grams fiber, 400mg sodium, 2 blue, 2 purple, 3 green SmartPts
Point values are calculated by Snack Girl and are provided for informational purposes only. See all Snack Girl recipes
