This is the perfect weeknight chili. I even think it’s going to be my new Sloppy Joe’s go to recipe. My personal chili recipe is a three day cooking marathon of simmering, tasting and blending. It’s intense, not for a quick meal and I never use ground beef as the meat in chili.
I liked the smoky, sweetness of this dish and it couldn’t have been easier to throw together. It’s also good the next day for lunch.
Serve this over pasta or rice. Melt some cheese on top or dollop some sour cream…whatever you like. Like I said, great for Sloppy Joe’s as well.
In a large bowl soak dried chiles (the ones you always see at the grocery store in a big bag) and prunes in just enough boiling water to cover until softened, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/3 cup of the soaking liquid. Discard the chili stems and seeds.
In a food processor, puree the chiles and prunes with the tomato paste and reserved soaking liquid. Set aside.
In a large pan, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a small bowl. Add the onion to the pan and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and paprika and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes.
Add the chili mixture to the beef. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and bacon. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 20 minutes. Season to your liking with salt.
Serve over pasta, rice or as Sloppy Joe’s.
Smoky Beef Chili
Adapted from Every Day
5 dried red chiles
1 cup pitted prunes
Boiling water
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 pounds ground beef
3 Tablespoons tomato paste
One 28 ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes, crushed or diced
Salt to taste
In a large bowl soak dried chiles (the ones you always see at the grocery store in a big bag) and prunes in just enough boiling water to cover until softened, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/3 cup of the soaking liquid. Discard the chili stems and seeds.
In a food processor, puree the chiles and prunes with the tomato paste and reserved soaking liquid. Set aside.
In a large pan, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a small bowl. Add the onion to the pan and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and paprika and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes.
Add the chili mixture to the beef. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and bacon. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 20 minutes. Season to your liking with salt.