Jack Frost has officially whistled his tune and revisited us once more here in Alabama. Bringing low temps, the chance of snow, and more opportunities to enjoy some good soups or stews.
I made a pot of chili back in November when we first started experiencing some cold weather (I couldn’t help myself and really could you blame me?) But, this around, I didn’t document over on IG like I did the first time. But, I did prepare to get the recipe together over here so you can make some chili at home! I even got to use my new dutch oven my parent’s got me for Christmas, which I’ve been so excited about since I opened the box.
I know cooking can be intimidating for some, BUT, we are here to do it together in 2026 and get you to feeling familiar in your kitchen in no time.
A little reminder about me and cooking background. I grew up watching my parents and grandparents manuever around in the kitchen. There wasn’t a recipe I didn’t watch, or a meal I didn’t want to taste test. Well, except chitterlings (and anything pig feet or pig ears, things like that.) My great-granddaddy on my mom’s side as also a chef. All of this piqued my interest at a young age.
I also grew up on watching shows like Iron Chef (the original, with subtitles,) Emeril Live, Barefoot Contessa, Bobby Flay’s shows, Jaime Oliver’s show, and more across Food Network, Fine Living, and the Travel Channel. You can literally experience the world through food and flavor!
After learning how to make cornbread at a young age, I went on to learn and master other family dishes as well. Now, there isn’t a cuisine or dish that I’m not willing to give a shot and try to make. I decided to post about them on IG to help my friends around the kitchen the way my family always did.
So, just in case you were ever curious, that’s why!
Here’s our recipe for the day, and you can find the shopping list (via Walmart) here and at the end of the post!
Deni’s Chili
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- To save some time while I'm cooking, I love to prep first. We're going to start with cutting our onion in half. Take one half and dice it. It doesn't have to be *perfect.* Goa head and take your minced garlic out (if it's in the fridge which it SHOULD be if you've used it and it's open.) You can also go ahead and take out your meat.
- Line up your cans in order of use: Tomato Puree, both cans of Beans, and then the Crushed Tomatoes. Go ahead and open your cans and pop the tops. This helps you move efficiently.
- Assemble your seasonings; the OG Quad (Salt, Pepper, Onion & Garlic Powders) will be the first ones you use, so keep them close.
- Turn your pot on low-medium heat. Add in some olive oil, enough to coat the bottom of the pot.
- Once your pot is hot, add in your onions and garlic. You're going to sauté them until your garlic is fragrant and onions are getting translucent.
- Next, when they start cooking, add in a little bit of beef bouillon powder and soy sauce. This is going to provide you with a good starter.
- Once you've done this, open your meat and add it in. Use your spatula to move the meat about the pot for even browning.
- When your meat is halfway browned, you can start seasoning. We are only seasoning the meat with the OG Quad; that's Salt, Pepper, Onion & Garlic Powders. Go light with the salt, you can always add more to taste later, but, you can never take it away if it's too salty.
- After you meat is completely browned, depending on the meat you used, drain the meat and add it back into the pot.
- You can bring the temperature up just a *little* because now, it's about to get fun…
- Once you start to hear a little sizzle upon re-adding your meat, go ahead and add in your tomato puree. Make sure to go ahead and stir the meat and puree together thoroughly.
- Now, we're going to add our "chili" seasonings: Oregano, Cumin, Coriander, Cayenne Pepper, Smoked Paprika, & Chili Powder. Stir. When taste testing your mixture, if the spiciness isn't to your standards, add a couple dashes of your favorite hot sauce.
- Next, we're going to add in both cans of our beans. Stir.
- Now, with our crushed tomatoes, we're going to add in half of the can first. STIR THOROUGHLY. Then, add the rest. Stir.
- Next, add in about 2 cups of the beef broth. However, this is up to your preference for how you want the consistency of your chili to be. If it's thicker, add a little more broth. Once the beans cook into the chili, it's going to thicken up a little again anyway.
- Let the chili simmer and let it be for anywhere between 15-45 minutes. After this, enjoy!
Notes
I have a little bit of an obsession with good chili. But, this also means that when I have bad chili, I’m judging.
Let me know if you decide to make it and if you have an ideas of new dishes I can make!
With Love,
Links:
+ Shop with Me: For Deni’s Chili (via Walmart)
+ Read + Cook: Deni’s Traditional Spaghetti
+ Read + Cook: The Fiesta Potato Bowl
+ Read + Cook: Lemon Orzo with Chicken
+ Read + Cook: New Year’s Quiche
What's Your Reaction?
